Alternative Pyramid
by Zivancis
Summary: A different take on the season 8 finale. Tony/Ziva story. Updated - More tough times lay ahead. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I own Nothing**

**A/N - Firstly, I haven't abandoned The Journey and will be updating very soon, but I have had this in mind for a long long time and felt the inspiration to start writing it. This is set during/after the last episode of season 8 (hence the title) and will mainly focus on Tony and Ziva. I know it must seem like I'm really mean to Ziva in every story I write, but I can't help it lol, rest assured, she is my favourite :) I was disappounted in the finale of season 8, in the fact that in Swan Song, they showed the most vulnerable side to Ziva and it was beautiful, and then in the next episode she gets kidnapped and is seemingly fine about it - strange in my opinion. So this is my take on it, and for the record (and artistic license) there will be, and there never was any Ray or EJ. **

**Chapter One - Found**

Gibbs, McGee and DiNozzo entered the barn cautiously. On the first look there didn't appear to be anyone there, but then Gibbs noticed the toy monkey. He alerted the others and told them to be aware. They had spent the whole day trying to track down Ziva since she had gone missing. They knew that she had been taken close to the NCIS building, as she had left a blood trail behind. Whether or not this was deliberate, they didn't know, but even so it had not led to her whereabouts. Their breakthrough had come when Jonas Cobb had entered the ballpen, blood on his hands. He had stepped out of the elevator so casually, as if he was unaware that he had left a trail of death behind him. Tony and McGee had leapt up immediately and trained their guns on him. Gibbs had spent the afternoon interrogating him, trying to get a clue to find Ziva, but Cobb was strong and had resisted. It was Abby who had provided the vital information. At first, Gibbs had found the forensic scientist in tears. She told him that the blood on Cobb's hands belonged to Ziva. Gibbs had tried to reassure her, told her that they shouldn't give up hope, but deep down they all knew what he was capable of. Abby had found traces of plants usually associated with horses. This had led them to Cobbs childhood farm, and the barn they were currently moving through.

Tony's heart wsa racing. He was so worried about Ziva. He had been ever since she had broken down in the elevator a few days previously after the death of Mike Franks. He had never seen Ziva so vulnerable, so open with her emotions. All he could do was hold her close and tell her everything was going to be alright. How wrong he had been. Of all the people that Cobb could have taken hostage, he had to take Ziva. As he edged further into the barn, he could hear what sounded like muffled groans. All three of the team rushed forward and were rewarded with the sight of Ziva David. A very alive Ziva. Relief swept through both Tony and McGee as they watched Gibbs kneel down next to her. She was bound at the hands and feet, and had been gagged. Gibbs undid the ties and then gently removed the tape from her mouth. Tony couldn't help but notice the blood that was covering Ziva's top. He couldn't see where it was coming from.

All he could see was the fear in Ziva's eyes. Gibbs helped her to a standing postion and began to check out the wound on her head. It was nasty and Ziva kept flinching every time Gibbs swept his fingers over it. She managed to say the three words that Tony predicted she would say - "I am fine". But Tony knew that she was not telling the truth. He could see past the facade, Ziva was an expert at hiding her feelings, but Tony was an expert at reading them. He knew that it was going to take more than a cup of coffee to get over this. But this was the woman who had survived three months at the hands of a terroist cell. If she could get through that relatively unscathed, then she could and would get through this. And Tony was determined to help her as much as he could.

Gibbs helped Ziva to walk out of the barn. She had been in the barn for hours and her muscles had seized up and she was finding it painful to move. Her head was throbbing, thanks to the blow from the butt of Cobbs gun. Ziva knew that Gibbs had plenty of questions for her, but she was grateful that he wasn't pressing her for details just yet. As she was walking along, the shock of what had happened to her today began to hit home. She could feel the bile rising in her throat, and before she could do anything about it, she was on her knees emptying the contents of her stomach. Gibbs knelt next to her on one side, Tony on the other. She noted that it was Tony's hand that was gently rubbing circles on her back, trying to calm her. She dry heaved until she had nothing left to expel. She breathed deeply and then silently nodded to both helpers that she was ready to move once again.

"We're gonna swing by the hospital to get you checked out Ziver, no arguments" Gibbs said, as he loaded her into the backseat of the car. Tony jumped in next to her, whislt McGee took position in the front next to Gibbs.

Ziva nodded in response and closed her eyes. If only her head would stop pounding, she would stop feeling sick. She felt the hum of the engine as the car was brought to life, and she was again grateful to Gibbs that he decided to drive a little slower than usual. Tony gently held onto one of her hands. It was a sign of how tired and sick Ziva must have felt for her not to protest. For once, she was happy to be shown a little comfort. It was still a relatively new concept to her, that other people cared.

Once at the hospital, Ziva was whisked away for scans and x-rays. The rest of team Gibbs, including both Abby and Ducky were in the waiting room. Abby had been pacing up and down ever since she had arrived. She just needed to see Ziva, then she could relax. McGee had told her that Ziva had been very compliant about going to the hospital, and this had worried Abby. Ziva was a warrior, she wasn't one to be easily swayed.

Eventually, a doctor came to speak to the team. Ziva's scans and x-rays had come back clear, but due to her vomiting and being drowsy, they wanted to keep Ziva in the hospital overnight for observation. Ducky had deemed this as being very sensible.

All the team had visited Ziva briefly, Abby had been first due to her persistant pacing. Now Tony was the only one left. He had helped Ziva to the bathroom twice to be sick, and was grateful that she had now been given some medication to hopefully help this. She was asleep at the moment, and Tony used this time to look her over properly. Her face was pale, and looked even more so with her dark hair fanned out on the pillow. She had an IV line in her left hand which was delivering fluids directly into the bloodstream which would help to prevent dehydration after all the vomiting. All in all, she looking nothing like the ninja that Tony referred to her as. This scared him a little bit. Ziva was invincible, the one person who could take on anyone in a fight and win. This Ziva, lying in a hospital bed, was not the Ziva he knew. He was brought out of his daydream as he heard Ziva groaning next to him.

"Can you pass me a bowl, I think I'm going to be sick again" Ziva moaned, trying to sit herself up. Tony barely got the bowl in front of her in time, and she began to heave. After a few minutes she collapsed back against the pillows and sighed.

"Are you alright, do you want me to get the nurse?" Tony asked.

"No, hopefully my stomach will settle soon. It is a bad concussion yes?"

"That's what they said. You've got a tough head though Ziva, McGee's skull would have been crushed if he had taken that hit" Tony tried to interject some humour into the situation and was rewarded by a little smirk of Ziva's lips.

"Thank-you for being here Tony"

"No problem my ninja. Now get some rest" Tony patted her hand and watched as she closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

"I'll always be here" Tony whispered.

**So, I hope you liked it. I have no idea where this story is heading, and I have a big challenge now to write two stories together and a) not get them confused, and b) make them different! So perhaps a little comment and some suggestions would help? :)**


	2. Missing

**Alternative Pyramid.**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the lovely alerts and reviews :) Means a lot. This chapter explains why Ziva was not at Mike Franks funeral. I was so angry that she wasn't there in the actual episode, with no explanation. Ziva would not have done that, she would have been there for Gibbs unless she had a really good reason. Oh well, here goes.**

**Chapter Two - Missing.**

Ziva was released from the hospital the next morning and was feeling slightly better. Well, better physically, emotionally she was still all over the place.  
>Of course she refused to admit this, and was back to pretending that she was fine and that nothing had ever happened. She was waiting for Tony to come and pick her up. He hadn't left the hospital until some ridiculous time in the morning after Ziva had finally stopped being sick and had settled to sleep. He hadn't really wanted to leave her, but the nurses insisted that he went home and got some rest. He walked into Ziva's room and found her sitting on the bed.<p>

"Hey, you ready to leave" Tony asked.

"Yes. Thank-you for coming to get me, I could have got a taxi" Ziva said bluntly. Tony could already tell that she was shutting down.

"Anything you need to do before going?"

"I have signed the paperwork. I have got to come back in five days to have the stitches removed"

"Ok, let's go. I thought we could go somewhere for breakfast on the way home"

"I do not really feel hungry. I just want to go home please"

Tony watched as Ziva walked out of the room. He noticed her sway ever so slightly as she stood up and he knew it was because she hadn't eaten anything. His job was now to get his partner home safely, and somehow get her to recognise that it was ok to feel frightened. It wasn't the first time that Ziva had been taken hostage of course, and by far it wasn't the first time that she had faced any danger. Ziva was well trained to deal with things from her time in Mossad. She hadn't been allowed to feel any emotions, she was brought up to be strong and to not care. But America had changed her a little bit. She was no longer the cold hearted officer she had once been, and in a way this made things more difficult for her. She was not used to people caring about her. Ziva sat quietly in the car whilst Tony drove her home. She just wanted to be in her apartment, to lock the doors and hide away. She felt ashamed of herself for feeling this way. She was scared. The hours that she had been held hostage by Cobb were some of the longest in her life. In some ways it was worse than what had happened to her in Somalia. Of course, it was on a much shorter scale and she hadn't really been hurt that badly. But it was the fear that had crept into her this time - the fear of what could happen. She had known how dangerous Cobb could be, and she hadn't been sure she was going to get out of that situation alive. It made her feel a bit better this morning when she found out that Cobb was dead. At least she didn't have the worry that he might come back after her.

It was a long, slow drive to Ziva's apartment. Tony noticed that she kept sighing, and that she seemed deep in thought about something. Every now and then he would notice that her fingers would travel to the wound on the side of her head. They would trail gently over the bandage and she would wince. It was almost like she wanted to cause herself pain.

"Would you like me to stay with you for a while when we get back. Boss has given me the day off" Tony asked, attempting to make conversation.

"No, I am feeling tired. I think I am going to go straight to bed"

"Ziva, I'm here for you. Please don't shut yourself away" Tony pleaded as he brought the car to a halt outside Ziva's apartment block.

"I am fine Tony. Thank-you for the lift. I will see you tomorrow"

"We don't have to go in tomorrow, It's Franks' funeral" Tony replied. He noticed how the colour drained out of Ziva's face.

"Ok" Ziva mumbled.

"I can come and pick you up in the morning. The funeral is at midday" Tony offered.

"No, I will drive. Thank-you Tony" Ziva stepped out of the car and Tony watched as she walked into her apartment. He sighed to himself. Ziva was not right.  
>This was not her. She was the strong one, the one who coped with everything. Not anymore it seemed.<p>

Ziva threw her bag down on the bedroom floor and flopped onto the bed. She felt exhausted, she had not managed to sleep well last night. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the manic face of Cobb staring at her. Ziva groaned. She wanted to sleep so badly, but knew she wasn't going to be able to without help. She walked into the kitchen and found a bottle of wine. She took it back to the bedroom, and began to drink.

Tony tried to call Ziva later that evening, to see how she was feeling. He was going to offer to pick up some food for dinner and suggest a movie, but he couldn't get a reply from her. He presumed that she had fallen asleep, and decided not to disturb her. Ziva was asleep, the first bottle of wine had almost worked, but the second had made her pass out from the level of alcohol. She was hoping that she would be able to sleep solidly for a few hours without any nightmares plaguing her.

It was midday the following day, and the whole team were standing in the cemetary after Mike Franks funeral. Well, almost the whole team was there. One member was however missing. Tony had tried calling Ziva that morning and had got no response. He was going to call into her and make sure she was alright, but she eventually sent him a text stating she would meet them at the cemetary. She had not shown up. The whole team were shocked at this. They all knew that Ziva was fairly close to Franks, and that she had been devastated when he had died. Gibbs especially was upset that she hadn't come, and that she hadn't even phoned to explain why. He hoped that she was ok.

Ziva lay in her bed, tears streaming down her face. She had let her team down once again. She had woken up that morning feeling extremely hungover from the wine she had consumed the day before. It had allowed her to sleep overnight, which she had desperately needed, but it had left her feeling nauseous. She had already had to run to the toilet three times that morning to empty her stomach. Tony had tried to call her, and she knew that it would be about the funeral. Ziva did really want to go to the funeral, she had loved Mike Franks, and she wanted to be there to support Gibbs. She had sent Tony a text telling him she would meet them there, but as she tried to get ready, she felt overwhelmingly panicked about leaving the apartment, and she knew she wouldn't be able to.  
>This was now why she was in the state she was in. She felt so guilty for letting everyone down, and her head was pounding. She buried herself in her duvet and cried herself to sleep. Ziva David was a mess.<p>

**Oh dear, poor Ziva. It's got to get worse before it gets better though :( Please review x**


	3. Together

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Sorry it has taken so long to update! This will be the last update till the new year now. Hope you all enjoy it :)**

**Chapter Three - Together**

After the funeral, and after spending time back at Gibbs' house, Tony decided to go and see Ziva. He said his good-byes to his team and made his way to the front door. He felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back. Tony turned around and saw Gibbs staring at him.

"You tell her it's not her fault DiNozzo. If I know Ziva as well as I think I do, I know she'll be beating herself up now" Gibbs said.

"Sure thing Boss. See you tomorrow"

"Tell her I need to see her tomorrow, either at home or at work. I need her statement about Cobb"

"Will do my best Boss"

Gibbs watched Tony leave and sighed. It had been a hard day for him today. It was not easy losing your best friend, and it was not easy knowing that your 'daughter' was alone and struggling to cope. Why did these things always happen to Ziva? A few years ago, she would have brushed something like this off as if nothing had happened. But Ziva was fragile after Somalia. She didn't show it often, but she had lost a lot of her strength over the years.

Tony arrived at Ziva's door and began to knock. He didn't think he would get a reply, and was proved right. He was now getting increasingly worried about Ziva. He had heard nothing from her since her text earlier that day, and for all he knew, she could be lying in there unconscious. He picked the lock and opened the door. He walked through the apartment and arrived at her bedroom. He pushed open the door but there was no-one inside. He noticed the two empty bottles of wine on the floor and suddenly knew where he would find her. He walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Ziva was lying on the floor, seemingly asleep next to the toilet. Tony sighed and rubbed his head. He honestly had no idea what to do. He had never seen Ziva lose it like this. Even after Somalia and all she had been through there, she had not acted like this. Perhaps she had been hiding it all this time and the incident with Cobb had brought it all to life. Tony picked Ziva up off the floor and carried her back to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and watched as she opened her eyes. She jumped up off the bed and looked at him with panicked eyes.

"Woah, Ziva, calm down. It's just me" Tony held up his hands.

"Sorry" Ziva replied, sitting back down on the bed. Her head was still pounding. She put her head between her hands and began to massage her temples.

"Do you want some pain killers?"

"Already tried them, my stomach didn't like them"

"Ziva, I'm worried about you, we all are"

"There is no need. I am fine"

"We missed you today, Gibbs especially"

"Is he mad at me?" Ziva answered, looking ashamed of herself.

"Of course not. He knows what you've been through. He told me to tell you that it's not your fault"

"Of course it is. I let him down, I got drunk and sick and I couldn't leave the house"

"You've got to stop beating yourself up about this Ziva. You've been through an ordeal, it's ok to feel like this. Let me help you"

"No-one can help me Tony. Please can you leave, I really need to sleep"

Tony realised that he wasn't going to get through to Ziva when she was in a mood like this and decided to leave.

"Gibbs will be coming round tomorrow, he needs your statement about Cobb" Tony stood up and went to move out of the room. He noticed how Ziva's breathing had quickened when he mentioned Cobb's name. Ziva suddenly felt nauseous again, and ran to the bathroom. She lurched over the toilet and began to dry heave. There was nothing left to come up. Tony walked in behind her and rubbed her back. He felt Ziva stiffen and the touch and he removed his hands. He waited until she was finished and then she collapsed onto the floor. For the second time, Tony picked her up off the floor and placed her back on her bed. He could feel her pulse racing, and noticed her pale complexion. Ziva was barely awake now and Tony was concerned. He decided to call Ducky to come and check on her.

It took thirty minutes for Ducky to arrive and it took one look at Ziva for Ducky to realise that she needed help.

"She's extremely dehydrated Tony, she needs fluids. We need to take her to the hospital. What happened today?"

"I think she consumed too much wine last night and has spent most of today in the bathroom. I was about to leave when I told her that Gibbs needed to talk to her about Cobb. She started to panic and was sick again. Then she collapsed and hasn't been awake since"

"Can you carry her to my car?"

Tony picked her up and grabbed a blanket to wrap her in. She didn't even flinch when she was moved. It didnt take long to get to the hospital. Tony had decided not to phone Gibbs, after the funeral, the last thing he needed to hear was that Ziva was back in hospital. Ziva was soon settled in a room and had an IV line inserted which was delivering much needed fluids to her bloodstream. Tony sat next to her and held onto her hand. Meanwhile, Ducky was talking to Ziva's doctor.

"Dr Webb, I am very concerned about Miss David. She has been through a traumatic event and is not coping at all. She is a very strong person and has been through a lot in her life, and for her to react this way is very unusual. I think she would benefit from a psychiatric evaluation" Ducky said.

"I agree. I have viewed her casefile and it seems that she has been working towards a breakdown for a long time. It seems this latest situation has tipped her over the edge. I will wait until tomorrow and see how she is doing, and then will broach the subject. I cannot do it without her approval, and there lies the difficult bit"

"Ah yes, our dear Ziva is not one to admit being weak or needing help"

"Well for now she needs rest and fluids. We shall review her in the morning"

"Thank-you"

Ducky relayed this information to Tony and then left for the night. Tony however was not going to leave. Ziva needed his help even more than ever, and he was not going to let her cope on her own anymore. They were in this together.

**Poor Ziva :( She's got a lot to go through before she's feeling better, but as long as she's got Tony...:) Please leave a little comment before you go x Merry Christmas!**


	4. Progress

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews, sorry it's been a long wait for an update, but it's been very busy! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.**

**Chapter Four - Progress.**

Tony stayed at his partners bedside the entire night. He managed to get a little sleep in between the nurses coming in the room to check on Ziva, but he still felt exhausted in the morning. He got out of the chair that had acted as his bed and stretched out his arms. One of the nurses entered the room and smiled at Tony.

"You must be very dedicated to sleep on a chair all night" The nurse said.

"Couldn't leave her on her own, she's been left too many times in her life. How is she doing?"

"Much better than last night. Her pulse has gone back to normal and I am going to stop the fluids. Hopefully her stomach will be able to tolerate oral fluids today"

"That's good. Will she be able to be discharged? She really isn't a fan of hospitals"

"That will be up to the doctor. I know he was quite concerned about her state of mind last night, he may well want her to have a psych evaluation before she goes anywhere"

"Good luck with that one. If she won't even talk to friends, there's no way she'll talk to strangers"

"The doctor will be in soon. This can be discussed then". The nurse replied before leaving the room.

Tony sighed as he watched Ziva stir in the bed. Part of him wanted her to wake up so he could talk some sense into her, but the other part wanted her to stay asleep as he had no idea what to say. Everyone apart from Ziva knew that she needed help. Proper professional help. Getting her to agree to that was not going to be an easy task. Ziva opened her eyes and let out a groan.

"Hey Sweetcheeks, it's good to see you awake. We've all been worried about you"

"What happened?" Ziva asked, looking confused as she took in her surroundings.

"I came to your apartment last night to make sure you were ok. You had too much wine Ziva and passed out from dehydration"

"Oh God. I need to go home" Ziva sat up in the bed and began to remove the monitoring equipment.

"Ziva! You can't just walk out of here like nothing has happened! You need help"

"No, I really need to go home Tony. Thank-you for your help, I will see you at work tomorrow" Ziva ripped out her IV line and winced as a trickle of blood began to run down her arm. She grabbed a handful of tissues and cleaned her arm.

"How do you think you're going to get home? You have no clothes, no shoes and no money" Tony argued.

"You are going to take me home. You brought me here, you can take me out of here"

"No way Ziva. If I was ever unsure that you needed help, this is prove of it" Tony left the room and explained to the nurse about what was going on. He then decided to phone Gibbs. If anyone could be persuasive, it was the Boss.

"Hey Boss. Sorry to disturb you, but it's about Ziva" Tony began, before relaying the whole story. He hung up the phone and waited for Gibbs to arrive. He walked back to Ziva's room and was surprised to see her lying asleep in bed.

"Is she ok?" Tony asked the doctor, who was in the room.

"Ah Good morning. I'm afraid your friend got a little violent a moment ago, and tried to assault one of my nurses. I have had to sedate her. I am very concerned about her state of mind, and feel very strongly that she needs some help. If she won't agree to it, we will have to admit her to one of the psychiatric wards against her will. It sounds very cruel, but it may be the one thing that helps her get through this episode"

"Thank-you" Tony mumbled. It was all he could think of to say. He could not believe what was happening to Ziva. It was like she was possessed.

"I understand that Miss David went through a very tough hostage situation recently, and has also been held captive in the past. Has she ever sought help for these events?"

"She had a psych evaluation after she was rescued from captivity in Somalia, but Ziva was different back then. She was strong, and hardly showed any signs of needing help. Maybe she did need the help after all and it is all coming out now"

"I think you might be right Mr DiNozzo. I will speak to the psychiatric team and get them to come and assess her today. I only gave her a very slight sedative so she should be awake soon. Hopefully she will feel a bit calmer"

"Thanks Doc"

About twenty minutes later, Gibbs entered the room.

"How is she DiNozzo?"

"Not good Boss. She got violent, tried to assault a nurse so they had to sedate her. Looks like she might be waking up though" Tony gestured towards the bed. Ziva was indeed stirring.

"I want you to go home and take a break Tony. I need to talk to Ziva alone"

"They are going to get her assessed by the psych team today, she might need admission to a psych ward"

"That will be too damaging for Ziva. I'm gonna talk to her, make her see sense"

"Good luck Boss. Take care of her"

Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head as he said that.

"What do ya think I'm gonna do with her DiNozzo?"

"Sorry Boss"

Gibbs watched as Tony left the room, and then walked over to Ziva in the bed. He held onto her hand and whispered her name.

"Ziva"

No response.

"Come on Ziver, I need to talk to you. There is a lot that I need to say. Firstly, I don't blame you for missing Mike's funeral. I know you had your reasons and I know you would have been there if you could have. You have got to stop this eating you up Ziver, you are in danger of messing up your entire life.  
>You'll lose your job if you're mentally unstable, and I know that your job is your life. Come on David, stop hiding from me" Gibbs pleaded with the Israeli.<p>

"Gibbs, I am...sorry" Ziva opened her eyes and immediately burst into tears. This was very unlike Ziva, but Gibbs held her in his arms and let her cry.

"You up to talking now? Cos you know if you don't talk to me, they're gonna make you talk to the psych team"

"Yes, I will talk, but not here. Please Gibbs, I cannot stay here" Ziva began to cry again.

"Alright Ziver, lets get you home"

Gibbs managed to smuggle Ziva out of the hospital and took her back to his house. She seemed surprised at first, but then calmed down as she realised it was probably for the best. He settled her on the couch and made her a cup of tea and some breakfast.

"Eat first and then we'll talk. I mean a proper talk Ziva, I wanna help you, and I can't if I don't know what's going on in your head"

"I do not know if I even know that Gibbs" Ziva replied, with a small smile on her lips.

Gibbs smiled back at her. It was progress at least.

**The next chapter will see Ziva talking to Gibbs in depth about what she went through with Cobb. Happy New Year everyone - it would be a lovely present for new year if my inbox was filled with reviews! xxx**


	5. Loss of Control

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I have to admit that I am loving writing this, but I have no idea what direction it is going in...it just flows out as I write so it will be a surprise for both me and you!**

**Chapter Five - Loss of Control**

Gibbs waited until Ziva had finished eating. At one point she had clutched at her stomach and he thought she was going to be sick, but she managed to keep the food and drink down. Gibbs pulled a chair opposite Ziva and held onto her hands.

"I need to know what happened with Cobb Ziver. Right from the beginning. I know this is going to be tough for you, and if you need a break all you have to do is say. Can you do this Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

"I am not sure Gibbs, but I will do my best"

"Alright. What happened when you left work that day?"

"I left the building, and started to walk home. I had not brought my car to work as it was a nice day and I wanted to walk. I walked down a couple of streets and then got the feeling that someone was following me. I did not look behind me as I did not want to give it away that I knew. All I can remember of the next few minutes is I was grabbed, I tried to struggle but he was very strong. He hit me over the head with the butt of his gun and the next thing I know I was tied up in that barn. He was there for the next few hours, tormenting me and he kept threatening to hurt me. Normally I would have coped with this, I guess previous events have not helped yes?" Tears began to form in Ziva's eyes.

"Alright Ziver, take a break" Gibbs said, walking off to the kitchen to make tea. He knew that Ziva was referring to Somalia, and he wasn't sure if she was going to talk more about that or not. He wanted to be prepared for this, and he knew Ziva would only be able to cope in short amounts. He made the tea and walked back into the living room. Ziva was not there. Gibbs placed the cups down on the table and walked down to the basement, which would be the most obvious place to hide. She was not there. Gibbs sighed as he walked back up the stairs and he was convinced that she had run away. That was until he heard sounds coming from the bathroom upstairs. He ran up there and opened the door. Ziva was sitting on the floor with her head on her knees. It was evident that the tea and breakfast from this morning had not lasted in her stomach.

"Oh Ziver" Gibbs sighed as he sat next to her.

"Why is this so hard Gibbs? I do not understand. I am used to being so strong and I am trained to cope with situations like this"

"You're not Mossad anymore Ziva, you're American now and with that comes the compassion and emotions that you always had to hide. You can get through this and cope with this, but you have to do it in a different way"

"Maybe the doctors are right, maybe I do need to be locked away"

"If you think that is right, then go ahead and admit yourself to the psych ward. But if you trust me as much as I think you do, you will stay here and I will get you through this" Gibbs planted a kiss on her forehead and helped her to her feet.

"I will always trust you Gibbs" Ziva smiled. It was only a small smile, but it was there.

Gibbs settled Ziva back onto the couch and took his seat opposite her.

"You ready to carry on?"

"I guess so. I had a lot of time to think about things in Somalia, and it was the same in that barn. After a month of captivity with Saleem, I was almost certain that he was not going to kill me. He tortured me very badly at the beginning, but as time went on, he almost forgot about me. He gave me just about enough food and water to keep surviving, and if I refused to drink or eat he would force me. It was like he enjoyed having my company. Cobb was crazed. He was not sure why he was doing what he was doing. He never hurt me apart from the hit on my head, but I never felt safe with him. He was unpredictable. When he finally left the barn, he kissed me on my cheek and told me I was beautiful. This is something that Saleem used to do and it sent me into thinking about those awful months. I have associated being held hostage by Cobb as being held hostage by Saleem. It has all become one big nightmare and I do not know how to deal with it"

"For someone who wasn't sure she was gonna be able to talk, you sure have said a lot Ziver. Have you ever talked about Somalia?"

"Apart from my psych evaluations, no. I found it too easy to lock it away and pretend it did not happen. I am buying for that now am I not?"

"Think you mean paying for it. No one can make you talk Ziva, it's a personal thing. But most people cannot start living their lives properly without dealing with major life events. You are going to have to talk about it at some point, before it eats you up"

"I do not want to open those wounds again Gibbs. They have almost healed. I was even over the nightmares before the situation with Cobb"

"I don't think you've got a choice in this Ziva. Unless you can prove to me that you are back to normal, I will not let you back to work"

"But Gibbs! I will be fine, I always am"

"No Ziva, that's what you always say. You're gonna have to do better than that to convince me this time" Gibbs knew he was being tough, but it was tough love that Ziva needed.

"I'll make us some lunch Ziva, anything you fancy?" Gibbs asked, but there was no reply. It appeared that Ziva was deep in thought.

When Gibbs returned to the living room once again, it was empty. He headed straight for the bathroom this time but she was not there. She was nowehere to be found. Gibbs sighed, he knew he had pushed her too far. He got in his car and drove over to her apartment, but she was not there either.

"Damn it Ziva, where are you?"

Ziva wasn't sure where she was going, but knew she needed to get away. She had felt positive at the beginning of the day and had felt slightly better when talking to Gibbs. But to be told she was not welcome back at work had broken her heart. Her work was her life, it was what got her through the bad times and she needed it to survive. She walked up to the door at the bar, and part of her knew she shouldn't be here, but she wasn't in control of her own mind anymore. After two drinks, Ziva felt better. The alcohol was warming her and she began to calm down and enjoy herself. It was a shame that her inhibitions were lowered, as she normally would have noticed the two guys sitting in the booth next to her as they discussed robbing the bar. She would have noticed the guns in their pockets and their shifty looks. But as chaos broke out in the bar and a massive brawl started to take place, Ziva was taken by surprise, and all she could do was sit there in shock as tables flew around her.

**Oh dear, what has Ziva got herself into now :( Please leave a little comment on the way out as I love reading them, and they really inspire me to keep writing :)**


	6. Saving Me

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks for all the lovely reviews :) Keep them coming**

**Chapter Six - Saving Me**

It seemed like hours to Ziva until the brawl was over, but in fact it had barely been a few minutes. She had hidden herself away under a table and was sitting with her head on her knees, her eyes squeezed shut. _What was the matter with her?_ If this had happened a few weeks ago, she would have launched herself at the robbers and they would be on their way into custody right now. She heard footsteps approaching her table and she glanced up to see the face of the bartender looking down at her with concern etched on his face.

"Hey Miss, you alright?" He said as he extended a hand to help Ziva onto her feet.

"I am fine, thank-you" Ziva replied. She took in her surroundings. The bar was completely smashed up and tables were strewn all over the place. Her mind began to work overtime. What would have happened if the robbers had known she worked for NCIS? What if they had wanted hostages? All of a sudden, memories from the worst parts of Ziva's life began to flood her mind. She was back in the dark cell in Somalia, Saleem walking round her, glints of evil in his eyes. Then she was with Cobb, bound and gagged on the floor of the barn, watching him smile at her and tell her how beautiful she was. The bartender noticed how pale Ziva had become and helped her onto a chair.

Ziva couldn't breathe. The air in the bar had become the hot stale air in Somalia. She gasped for more oxygen and knew that she was starting to panic. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be somewhere familiar.

"Hey Miss, you don't look so good. I'm gonna call an ambulance" The bartender decided. The woman in front of him was becoming increasingly pale and was struggling for breath. He looked over her for any obvious injuries and there were none.

"No...please...call Tony" Ziva managed to say before going limp in the chair. She was still breathing, but it was very shallow.

The bartender looked in Ziva's bag and pulled out her phone. Lucky for him, Tony was speed dial number one.

"Hello, DiNozzo"

"Hello Sir. I am sorry for bothering you. We have had a bit of a situation in my bar and there is a lady here in a bad way. She wants you" The bartender explained to Tony and gave him instructions to find the place.

By the time Tony arrived at the bar, they had laid Ziva on the floor into the recovery position. She was now breathing better, and seemed to be asleep rather than unconscious. Tony had driven to the bar as fast as he could. He knew Ziva had gone missing from Gibbs' house, and although the bartender had not known Ziva's identity, Tony had had a gut feeling it would be her. He ran into the bar and over to where Ziva was laying.

"Oh Ziva, what have you done this time?" Tony assumed Ziva had had too much to drink again and had passed out.

"It's not her fault Sir, it's the idiots that robbed the place" It was only after the man explained what had happened that Tony took in the state of the bar.

"Did they hurt her?" Tony asked, worried.

"No, I found her huddled under a table. She looked alright at first and then she went into shock I think. I sat her down but she passed out and hasn't woken up since. I tried to call an ambulance but she wanted you"

Tony gently picked Ziva up and thanked the bartender. The police began to arrive just as Tony was putting Ziva into the backseat of the car. Tony jumped into the drivers seat and took Ziva back to his apartment. Once inside, he laid her on his bed and stroked her head. He called Ducky to come and check on her, just incase they were missing something.

"She appears to be fine Tony. No injuries that I can see, I have a feeling it is her mind that has assaulted her this time" Ducky explained. He told Tony that he was sure Ziva would be fine physically in the morning after a good nights rest, but she was emotionally damaged and without professional help she would be lost.

Tony spent the night watching Ziva sleep. She seemed to have a very erratic sleep. She would be calm for a time, but then her eyes would start to flicker as if she was dreaming, and she would begin to whimper. Then she would calm herself again and this routine lasted for the entire night. It was no wonder that she always looked exhausted lately. Tony was still watching her when she woke up. She opened her eyes slowly, and then when she realised she wasn't where she thought she should be, she shot up in bed.

"Woah my ninja, you're ok, you stayed with me last night. Well not with me, just in my apartment"

"What happened? I do not remember what happened last night!" Ziva asked, concern in her voice.

"You were caught up in a bar brawl. You passed out from the shock and I came and picked you up. I didn't want to leave you alone so I brought you back to mine"

"I remember now. Why did I pass out though? Nothing happened to me did it?" Tony could see that Ziva was starting to panic again.

"Nothing happened to you. I think you had a panic attack Ziva. I hate to keep on at you, but you need to seriously consider getting some help"

"I know. I am scared though"

"I know you are, but it's a scarier thought never knowing if you're going to be well enough to work again. I need my kick ass partner back Ziva. I miss her"

"I am sorry Tony. She may never come back. She may never be fixed"

"Don't say that! You can recover from this Ziva. Hell, if you can get over Somalia as quickly as you did, then you can snap out of this"

"That is the problem Tony. I have never got over Somalia, it is why I am so damaged now. But I have hidden it for so long now, I do not think I can talk about it anymore. But if I cannot do that, I will never get better. It is catch 23 yes?"

"Catch 22 Ziva. Talk to me. I was there remember. I know I didn't go through half the stuff you did, and my experience can never match up to yours, but you have to start somewhere. You started with Gibbs, so finish with me"

"Look at what my chat with Gibbs did though Tony. I ended up at a bar drinking"

"You won't do that this time. It's me Ziva, you won't walk out on me"

"I am not the Ziva you are used to Tony. I cannot be sure of anything at the moment"

"Please just say you'll try. I lost you once Ziva, I can't lose you again" Tony had tears in his eyes as he looked at his partner. She looked so defeated.

"I will try, but I will not promise anything. I do not want to break any promises with you"

"We can do this Ziva, we can do this together"

"I hope you are right"

Tony watched as Ziva sighed and then closed her eyes. She was still catching up on sleep and Tony knew he should be doing the same. He decided to call Gibbs first.

"I've got her Boss" Tony said as Gibbs answered. He informed Gibbs about the previous nights events and could hear the disappointment ebbing from Gibbs' voice.

"She alright?"

"Hard to say Boss. She talked to me, and she said she is going to try and talk about everything with me. She won't make promises though. I'm scared Boss. I think she might run away forever if this doesn't work"

"Take the week off. Keep her with you, do not let her out of your sight, no matter how hard it gets. If anyone can get through to her, it's you DiNozzo"

"Thanks Boss"

Tony hung up the phone and walked back into the bedroom. Ziva looked so innocent and peaceful lying in his bed that for a moment Tony forgot about everything.

"Are you going to stare at me all night Tony?" Ziva asked.

"No, sorry. Just grabbing a blanket for the couch"

"You can sleep in your own bed Tony, I do not bite...that much" Ziva smirked. Tony laughed, it was like old times.

"You sure?"

"The truth is I cannot sleep well anymore and I am hoping that some company might help" Ziva said, looking vulnerable.

"Scoot over then Sweetcheeks" Tony climbed in the bed next to her.

"Thank you Tony"

"What for?"

"Saving me, again" Ziva began to cry and Tony held onto her tight. He whispered reassuring words into her ear and he wiped away her tears. He waited until she had cried herself to sleep before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I'd save you a million times Sweetcheeks"

**And so the beautiful relationship between Tony and Ziva begins to grow :) Will Ziva open up to Tony? Or will she run away again? Let me know what you think please x**


	7. One of a Kind

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks for the support and reviews :)**

**Chapter Seven - One of a Kind**

Tony woke up the next morning to an empty bed. His heart sank, but in all truthfulness, he knew this would happen. Ziva was such a proud person, and she had learnt to cope with things on her own for so long that she was incapable of asking for help. He glanced at the clock and realised that it wasn't morning anymore, it was early afternoon. He sat up slowly and rubbed his tired eyes. It was then that he swore he could smell bacon! He climbed off the bed and wrapped his dressing gown around him. He wandered out into the kitchen and his mouth turned from confusion into a smile as he saw Ziva cooking breakfast.

"Morning Sweetcheeks. Something smells good"

"It is afternoon actually, I thought you were never going to get out of bed. It is just bacon and eggs"

"Thanks Ziva, you didn't have to do this"

"I think it is me who owes you the thank-you. I am sorry for what happened last night"

"You have got to stop apologising Ziva. I spoke to Gibbs last night, we have both got the week off. You are going to talk to me Ziva, and if you can't then we are going to find someone who you can talk to"

"Eat up before it gets cold" Ziva delivered the plate to Tony and then sat down at the table and began to eat her own.

"Don't blank me Ziva. I'm doing this because I care, not because I'm trying to hurt you"

"I know Tony. I will try, that is all I can promise"

They finished their breakfast in silence. Tony kept glancing over to Ziva. He could tell she was thinking deeply about things. Every so often, her forehead would crinkle into a frown and she would sigh. He really hoped that Ziva would open up to him.

Tony had a shower after breakfast, and then made coffee. He sat down on the sofa next to Ziva and placed his hand on hers.

"I'm ready whenever you are"

"I do not really know where to start. The whole experience in Somalia is all messed up in my head"

"Tell me what happened when you first got caught"

"I was so close Tony, so close to finishing the mission. It had been a long time, and I was exhausted. I was about to take out Saleem, when his guards surrounded me. I tried so hard to fight them, but I could not get through them all. There were so many of them. One of them hit me around the head with his gun and the next thing I remember is waking up in a cell. I was on my own, and it was so cold. I still had my clothes on, but I think I was so tired,  
>and the cell was underground so the sun did not shine in there. I paced around for a while, looking for possible exits, but there were none. It was a while before anyone came, but eventually one of the guards opened the door. I thought about trying to escape, but there were many many guards lined up outside.<br>I was dragged into a room, and forced into a chair. They tied my hands behind my back and told me to wait there. I thought that was ironic because where was I going to go? Saleem came into the room and he was carrying a knife. He walked straight over to me and pulled my hair back, exposing my neck. He held the knife against my throat, and demanded to know who I was and who I was working for. I almost told him, but I could not betray either Mossad or NCIS. I stayed silent and he did not like this. He was used to prisoners who did what they were told. He punched me in the face several times. I could feel the blood running down my face. I never showed any signs of pain, and this did not go down well either. Once Saleem knew that he was not going to get the information he wanted from me, he dragged me back to my cell. This is where I stayed for the majority of the time" Ziva stopped to sip her coffee.

"You're doing really well Ziva" Tony encouraged.

"Actually, it feels good to talk about it. Like a whale has been lifted off my shoulders"

"Weight Ziva" Tony tried not to laugh.

"Yes, weight, sorry. There were some days when no one would come and see me. Those were the long days. Although it was nice to not be beaten or hurt in any way, being on your own for such a long time is torture in itself. All I thought about the whole time I was trapped in that cell, was all of you. I thought about Abby dancing about in her lab, I thought about Abby a lot actually. I think it was the Caf-Pow!. I thought about every member of the team,  
>and they all brought me comfort, apart from you. And it is not your fault, it is entirely mine. The way I treated you was dispicable, I should never have drawn my gun on you. You have to understand that I was only doing that to demonstrate what you did to Michael, I never would have shot you or hurt you intentionally. All I wanted to do was to see you and to speak to you and to say sorry. I had a lot of time to think about that, and the more that time went on, the more I tortured myself that you would never know how I truly felt about that situation. I never dreamt that you would come and rescue me, I thought I would never see any of you again" Ziva began to cry.<p>

"Hey, I think that is enough for today. Ziva, we both made mistakes and did things that we should not have done, but you are my partner, and I trust you with my life. I would not want anyone else to be my back up, it has got to be you Ziva"

"And that goes for me too. I wish things had been a lot different, but I am glad that we are friends now Tony. You have helped me today, it was easy to talk to you. I know I have got a long way to go before I feel better, but I feel positive. Thank-you"

"No problem my ninja. We'll carry on tomorrow, so for now, lets watch a movie"

"I should go home. I have no stuff here and I do not want to intrude on you too much"

"Ziva, I am not allowed to let you out of my sight, Gibbs' orders! Lets swing by your place, pick up some stuff and then have dinner and movie time"

"That sounds nice Tony. Are you sure you do not mind?"

"What are friends for Ziva?"

Tony pulled Ziva into a hug and smiled as she melted into him. He was relieved that Ziva had got on so well today. He knew it was just the start, but he hoped that she was on the way to recovery. He felt guilty for never pushing her into talking about Somalia before. He had messed up once, he wasn't going to mess up again. He planted a kiss on Ziva's cheek and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You are one of a kind Anthony DiNozzo, do you know that?"

"As are you Ziva David"

**So Ziva has started to open up a bit, will this continue? And how will the relationship between Ziva and Tony develop? Please leave a little comment, it means a lot :)**


	8. Nightmares Resurface

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews and alerts. Not quite sure where this is going but I hope you all enjoy it :)**

**Chapter Eight - Nightmares Resurface.**

Tony went to bed that night feeling a lot happier about the situation with Ziva. He knew that she was still fragile, and it would not take much to push her in the wrong direction again, but looking at her whilst she slept - she looked peaceful and for this Tony was grateful. He was getting used to sharing his bed with Ziva, and he knew he was going to miss her when she left. During the last couple of days, Tony had realised just how much Ziva meant to him.  
>They had always had a good relationship, barring what had happened with Rivkin of course, but Tony truly trusted Ziva, and he knew that she felt the same way. He had never really thought about anything romantic happening between them, but having spent so much intense time with her lately, feelings he never realised he had were starting to surface. He knew he couldn't act on them though, Ziva certainly didn't feel that way, or at least that was what Tony thought. He looked over again at Ziva and smiled to see her looking calm and comfortable. He settled down to sleep, and hoped that tomorrow would bring more progress.<p>

That was not to be. Tony was woken up a couple of hours later by the sound of whimpering. He sat up in bed and turned on the bedside light. He looked over at Ziva who was jerking in the bed. Her face was covered in a layer of sweat and her eyes were screwed up into a frown. Every now and then she would let out a whimper or a small scream, and Tony knew she was reliving Somalia in her mind.

"Ziva, you need to wake up. Come on, you're with Tony and you're fine" Tony tried to talk to Ziva, to try and bring her out of the nightmare, but Ziva carried on twisting and turning. He leant over and shook her shoulders gently, but this just made things worse.

"NO! Do not touch me, please do not hurt me!" Ziva started to scream.

Tony truly did not know what to do with her. If he spoke to her, she wasn't able to hear him, and if he touched her, she thought it was whoever was assaulting her in her dreams. In the end, Tony decided to just ride it out with her. He knew it wouldn't go on forever, well at least he hoped it wouldn't, and he would be there to comfort her when she woke up. It took another half an hour for the whimpering to stop, and Tony was surprised that Ziva just appeared to slip back into a normal sleep. It was then that he realised that Ziva had been dealing with this for a long time. He remembered the weeks after they had got back from Somalia. Ziva would arrive at work, deep bags under her eyes, looking exhausted. She would brush it off and pretend that everything was alright. She had been seen as vulnerable by too many people on the way home from Africa, and she wanted people to forget it. Ziva had been fighting this for a long time, no wonder it was hitting her so hard this time.

It was an hour before Tony was once again woken up by another nightmare. Tony sighed as he once again saw the pained expression on Ziva's face.

"Oh Ziva, you poor thing. Why didn't you tell anyone you were suffering like this?" Tony said to himself. Once again he waited until the nightmare was over before settling back to sleep.

On the third time, Tony realised that he needed to do something to stop this, otherwise Ziva was going to feel awful in the morning. Once she started to whimper again, he decided that he would be a bit more forceful with his touch. This backfired dramatically. Tony held both of her shoulders down in the bed and began to shout at her, telling her that she was safe.

"NO! Do not do this, not again, I will not let you do this to me!" Ziva screamed, and using all the power she had, she threw Tony off her. He was totally unprepared for this and he groaned as he landed on the floor next to the bed. He stood up and expected to see Ziva awake, but he was not prepared to see her eyes looking crazed. She flew at him once again and pushed him to the floor. She began to hit him, and the punches were hard as they were fuelled by anger.

"Ziva! It's Tony, STOP!" Tony tried to shout, but there was no getting through to Ziva. Tony knew he had to get through to Ziva, and he knew the only way was to fight back. He really didn't want to hurt Ziva, but he had no choice. He waited until Ziva paused in between punches and he slapped her across the face. This shocked Ziva enough for Tony to once again let her know that she was safe.

"Ziva, you have got to listen to me. You are in my apartment, you are safe. You need to stop what you are doing!" Tony pleaded. He saw the crazed look disappear from her eyes, and the sadness creep in as she realised what she had done. Before Tony could reassure her, she got up and ran to the bathroom and locked the door. Tony could hear the sounds of retching and he knew she was vomiting.

Tony walked to the bathroom door and sat outside it.

"Ziva, please let me in. It's not your fault, please don't do this, don't shut me out" Tony pleaded. All he was greeted with was the sound of more vomiting. He began to get concerned that she was going to hurt herself in there all alone. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife and unlocked the bathroom door. He opened it slowly so he didn't alarm Ziva. She was sitting on the floor, with her knees bent up and her head resting on them. Tony sat next to her and waited for her to speak. After a while, she lifted her head up and took a look at Tony. The sight made her stomach churn again and she retched over the toilet once more. Tony rubbed her back gently, but stopped when he felt her stiffen at the touch.

"Hey, it's ok, it's not your fault Ziva" Tony said.

"You obviously have not seen your face Tony. However bad my nightmares may be, I should not have taken it out on you"

"You had no choice Ziva, you were not in the bedroom at the moment and you were not with me. You were in that hell hole of a camp with Saleem looking over you. I understand this Ziva, you've got to believe me"

"I once warned Ducky to stay away from me, as those who get close to me only end up getting hurt. You may want to do the same"

"Ziva, now you're just being plain ridiculous! How can I stay away from you when I love you?"

"You love me? You really think that now is the time to start spouting things like that?"

"I love you, the team loves you Ziva. You have got to start realising that or you are going to carry on existing like this. I thought I could help you, yesterday felt like such a good day, and now you have locked yourself away again. So why don't you just walk away from me, walk away from us all, because you obviously don't love us" Tony shouted.

"I do love you, I love you all very much. You all have saved me on many occasions, but I do not expect you to save me this time. I want to be normal again, to be back to the way we were, but it is too hard. I cannot do it"

"You cannot do it alone Ziva, but with us you can. Just let me in, like you did yesterday. We can do this Ziva, please don't give up"

"I do not know if I can Tony"

"We'll start slowly. Let me make some tea and we'll talk. I don't think either of us will be getting any more sleep tonight"

"Let me look at your face first. It is the least I can do yes?"

Tony let Ziva tend to his injuries. He had a cut above his eye, and a large bruise was starting to form on his cheek. He saw the sadness and the shame in Ziva's eyes as she wiped the blood away. Tears started to fall from her eyes and she had to stop what she was doing.

"Hey, please don't cry. It's not that bad, just a bit bruised that's all. It's my fault Ziva, I shouldn't have pinned you down on the bed"

"I am sorry Tony. It just felt so real"

Tony led Ziva out of the bathroom and into the front room. He sat her down on the couch and made them some tea. He sat down beside her and waited for her to talk.

"When I felt your arms holding me down, it felt like I was in that cell again. After the first few weeks, Saleem realised that beating me, burning me, was not going to make me talk. He always used to look at me with lust in his eyes, he would look me up and down and tell me how beautiful I was. I wondered how on earth I could be beautiful when I was covered in blood, sweat and bruises, but he would always tell me that. Sometimes he would touch me, he would run his hands down my face, and very occasionally he would kiss me. I never reacted to it, but it always made me feel sick. It was like I knew it was leading to something else, something worse, and I was right. I soon lost track of time, but I knew I had been there for a long time. I guess I should be lucky that it did not happen straight away. It was during the night, this was the time that I normally felt safest as no one would come at night. I was trying to sleep, but heard the door to the cell open. It was Saleem. He dragged me up off the floor and out of the cell. He led me through numerous corridors until we reached another room. There was a mattress on the floor and Saleem threw me on it. He took out a knife and began to cut off my clothes. I began to cry as I knew what was going to happen. I think you can guess the rest" Ziva stopped talking and took a sip of her tea.

"Ziva, I am so sorry. I think we always guessed something like that happened, but none of us were ever brave enough to ask. I am so sorry that you have had to deal with this on your own"

"Please do not feel guilty. I should have talked about it, but I feel ashamed. I should have been able to stop it, I did try and struggle, but it always made him angry"

"How many times?"

"Not many thankfully. But the day before you rescued me, was the last time he did it. It was the most painful, and it is why I could not walk properly. It is why I was ready to die. For a long time, I tried to stay postive, I was determined to beat it and escape somehow. But as the weeks went on, I realised that my life as I had known it was over. Being in Saleems camp was my existence, and I wanted it to end. I would have happily let Saleem cut my throat that day. I did not dare to dream that I would be on that plane with you, Tim and Gibbs. Thank-you" Ziva began to cry again.

"Hey, you have been so brave over the last few days. I have learnt more about your capture in the last two days than I have over the last two years. Do not ever feel ashamed over what happened to you, you are a survivor and you should be proud"

"Maybe one day I will feel that way, but right now I just feel drained and tired and I want to sleep Tony. I have not slept properly for a long time"

"Maybe we can talk to Ducky later, he could give you some sleeping tablets. You can't go on with no sleep Ziva"

"I do not like being drugged Tony, it brings back bad memories"

"I know exactly how you feel Ziva, but I don't think you have a choice this time"

Tony saw Ziva yawn and encouraged her to lay down on his lap. She rested her head on his legs and he stroked her hair as she drifted off to sleep. Tony was tempted to close his eyes too, but he did not want to miss any nightmares that might resurface. So he watched her sleep. She looked exhausted, and Tony knew they would both feel awful later that day.

"Oh my ninja, I really do love you. Sweet dreams please" Tony whispered.

**So Tony's feelings are started to surface...will he tell her how he feels, and if he does, what will Ziva say? REVIEW!**


	9. Decisions

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Sorry for the long delay, been very busy! Here's the next part, enjoy :)**

**Chapter Nine - Decisions.**

When Tony woke up the next morning, he was relieved to see Ziva still curled up next to him on the couch. He gently moved her head off his lap and stood up to stretch his stiff muscles. He wondered for a moment why his face was hurting, and then the memories of the night before came flooding back to him. He looked down at Ziva and saw her start to stir. He sat down next to her and began to stroke her face whilst she woke up. Eventually she opened her eyes and smiled at Tony. The smile turned to a frown as she too saw Tony's face and began to remember what had happened during the night.

"Hey, before you start feeling guilty again, it wasn't your fault Ziva so please don't beat yourself up"

"I am sorry Tony, is it sore?" Ziva pushed herself up into a sitting position and realised how sore her muscles were after her 'fighting' last night.

"About as sore as you by the looks of it. I am going to make us some tea and then I am going to speak to Ducky"

"It is not necessary Tony. I have decided to go back to my apartment tonight. I do not want to be a burden anymore"

"Ziva, you are not a burden and you are not ready to be by yourself yet. Don't make any rash decisions based on last night" Tony pleaded with Ziva. They had made so much progress over the last couple of days and Tony was not ready to give up on Ziva just yet.

"I have managed by myself just fine for the last two years Tony. I am not a baby. I have made my mind up so please can we just leave it" Ziva got up off the couch and stalked towards the bedroom and began to pull on her tracksuit.

"You can't just leave like this Ziva. I won't let you"

"I am going for a run, and then I will pick up my stuff. We have got to go back to work at some point Tony, this cannot be a permanent thing"

Tony watched as Ziva pulled on her trainers and left the apartment. He walked into the kitchen and poured some cereal into a bowl. After eating, he decided he needed to talk to the one person who might be able to talk sense into Ziva. He picked up the phone and waited for a response.

"Gibbs"

"Hey Boss, it's me"

"DiNozzo, how is it going? You fixed her yet? I need my team back"

"If you had asked me that yesterday I would have said we were well on the way to a full recovery. But Ziva had a rough night and is now talking about leaving"

"You can't keep her caged up forever DiNozzo. If that's what she wants to do, you're gonna have to let her"

"I know Boss, but I'm worried about her"

"Is there something else going on Tony?"

"I don't know what you mean Boss"

"Rule twelve?"

"I wouldn't break those rules Boss"

"Why don't you suggest coming in to work tomorrow and we'll go from there"

"Ok Boss, see you tomorrow"

Tony hung up the phone and immediately felt better for speaking to Gibbs. He was slightly concerned that Gibbs had asked about his feelings for Ziva, he wanted to keep them secret as he knew it would never work. But he did love Ziva, and part of the reason that he didn't want Ziva to leave was because of his feelings for her. Tony sighed again and then dragged himself to the shower. When he got out, Ziva had returned from her run and was making herself some breakfast.

"How was your run?"

"It was very refreshing. It also made me think about a few things. Tony, I do not want you to think that I am not grateful for what you have done for me this week. But you must understand that I lost control last night, and I hurt you. I do not want to put you in that position again and so I must go back home"

"How long have you been having the nightmares?"

"I had them for a long time after returning from Somalia, but as time went on they reduced. I usually only have them when we have had a bad case, but this last week they have come back with a vengeance"

"I spoke to Gibbs earlier and told him your plan. He wants us to go in tomorrow"

"It will be nice to go back, it will be like a bit of normality. I will sort my stuff out after a shower if that is ok?"

"Why don't you just stay one more night Ziva? We can go in together tomorrow that way"

"Tony, I need to go home. Please support me in this"

"You've always had my full support Ziva. Can I at least pick you up in the morning?"

"If you insist"

Tony smiled as he watched Ziva walk off towards the bathroom. He hoped that she would be alright by herself, but deep down he knew that she would be suffering alone tonight.

It was with a heavy heart that Tony said good-bye to Ziva that afternoon. He had managed to persuade her to stay for lunch, and he had made pasta, knowing that Ziva probably had no food at home where she had not been there, and she was unlikely to go shopping anytime soon. The least he could do was to make her eat. He was starting to feel guilty. If he had not interfered in her nightmares, then she would not have fought him, and she wouldn't be leaving now.

"You look deep in thought Tony. I am going now. Thank-you for everything, and I do really mean that"

"Just promise me one thing Ziva. If it gets too much again, come to me, don't run away"

"I will not make any promises Tony. Sooner or later I have got to learn to cope on my own again. But I know you are here, and I appreciate that"

"You are never alone Ziva"

Tony kissed her on the cheek and waved as she walked towards her car. He closed the door and prayed that his ninja would be safe tonight.

Ziva was feeling fairly positive as she walked through her own front door. She sorted all her bags out, and made a cup of tea before realising that she had no milk.

"Must go shopping tomorrow" Ziva said to herself.

Once it got to the evening, Ziva had a bath in the hope that she would relax herself before going to bed. Once she was lying in bed, thoughts of the last week began to swarm into her mind and Ziva groaned in frustration as she knew she would not be getting much sleep. Her phone beeped and she opened up the message.

"_Sweet dreams Sweetcheeks. Movie time's not the same without you"_

Ziva smiled as she thought of Tony. She felt so bad that she had attacked him, but her nightmares were so real, she couldn't separate them from reality.

"_Thank-you Tony. See you tomorrow, do not be late"_

Ziva was looking forward to seeing the team tomorrow. She felt like her head was starting to become hers again, and although she knew that she had a long way to go before sleep was something she looked forwards to, life was beginning to get back on track. And that was all thanks to Tony. For some reason, Ziva always felt safe with him. Tony would never judge her, and he would never be shocked at what she was telling him. She let him in on her darkest times in Somalia and he was so supportive. She would never find another partner like him.

Tony was also lying in bed thinking about Ziva. He missed her. She had only been with him for a couple of days, but he missed her. Part of him wished that he could just tell her how he felt about her, but he knew at the moment that kind of information would tip her over the edge. Ziva was barely clinging onto life at the moment, and he didn't want to do anything to jeapordize their partnership. Tony sighed and closed his eyes. His dreams would be full of a certain Israeli tonight, he was sure of it.

Three hours later and Ziva was still awake. If it wasn't nightmares that plagued her, it was insomnia. Ziva was not sure which one she preferred, but at least with the nightmares she was able to get some sleep. She knew that she was going to be awake all night, and so she made some tea and put a movie on.  
>It made her think of Tony, which helped to relax Ziva. If only she hadn't hurt him, she could have been with him tonight. Eventually, Ziva managed to drift off into sleep, but when sleep came, so did the nightmares. After the second nightmare, where Ziva was left covered in sweat and screaming, she made a decision.<p>

Tony was deep in sleep when Ziva entered the room. She had picked his lock and had let herself in. She had sat outside in her car for a while, contemplating whether she had made the right decision, but once she entered the apartment, she immediately felt more peaceful. Ziva took her coat off and pulled back the covers of the bed. She slipped inside them and smiled as Tony unconsciously slipped his arm around her. Ziva was proud of herself. For once she had decided to help herself, and she refused to suffer alone any longer. She closed her eyes and began to dream. But these dreams were filled with nice things, tonight there would be no more demons.

**Aw, what will Tony think when he wakes up to find his ninja back with him again? Please leave a little comment, please please :)**


	10. Proud

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - WOW, 10 reviews for the last chapter, amazing. Thank-you so much. This chapter is more of a filler, but I wanted to introduce the team into the story for a while. It might not be the most exciting chapter, but can't have drama all the time lol. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter Ten - Proud**

Tony woke up the next morning and was convinced that something was not right. He had slept really well, but something was different. It was then that he noticed that his arm was wrapped around something warm. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and blinked a couple of times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

_"How on earth did you manage to slip in here without me noticing you ninja_" Tony whispered to himself.

Tony looked at the clock which read 06:00. Ziva was snoring gently and looked very peaceful. Tony could not believe that he had not noticed her joining him last night, and it made him wonder what time she slipped in. He smiled as he watched her start to wake up. Part of him was very happy that she had not hidden from whatever problems that had occurred last night, but the other part was concerned as to what had lead his stubborn partner to seek comfort from him.

Ziva could feel eyes staring at her. She knew Tony was probably very bemused to find her back in his bed, and she hoped he wouldn't question her too much. She rolled over and looked up into his eyes. She smiled at him and waited for the interrogation to begin.

"So Sweetcheeks, you couldn't last one night without me?" Tony joked, not wanting to put any pressure on Ziva. It looked like he had gained her absolute trust and he was not going to jeapardise that.

"So it appears. I had trouble sleeping, and when I did sleep, the nightmares came back. I really tried to cope on my own, but I failed" Ziva replied, looking crestfallen.

"Hey, it's not a failure Ziva. What you did last night, or whenever you decided to come back here was really brave. I know it must have been a difficult decision for you to make, but I'm glad you did it"

"Thank-you. I suppose we should get ready for work yes? Abby will be most disappointed if we do not go in" Ziva sighed.

"Look, if you're not ready, you don't have to go. The others will understand, I'll make sure of it" Tony said.

"No. If I want to get back to normal, I need to go back to work. But for once I will not complain if it is just a paperwork day"

"Now that _is_ unheard of" Tony laughed.

After showers and breakfast, they were ready to leave. Tony could see that Ziva was on edge and he was not sure whether to bring it up or not. Deciding he was feeling brave, he questioned Ziva.

"Nobody is going to judge you Ziva, if that's what you're worrying about"

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked, accusingly.

"I can tell that you are nervous Ziva, and I know that you are worried about what everyones reactions will be. The team are your family Ziva, nobody will think any less of you for what's happened recently. They will just be pleased to see you back"

"How do you know me so well?" Ziva asked.

"They don't call me 'very special agent' for nothing!"

Ziva felt a little better once they had made it to the NCIS building. The ride in the elevator seemed very long, and there was a small part of Ziva that wanted to hit the stop button and never get out, but the gentle squeeze from Tony's hand onto hers helped. The doors opened and when Ziva stepped out, it was like she had never left.

McGee was sitting at his desk typing. He looked up and broke into a smile as he greeted Tony and Ziva. Ziva replied and then laughed as Tony began to make fun out of McGee's shirt which had a large coffee stain on it. Ziva settled into her desk and tried to calm her nerves. She looked over at Tony and her heart started to beat a little slower when he smiled at her. Gibbs then appeared out of nowhere and placed a cup of coffee on her desk. He leaned over and whispered into her ear.

_"Hasn't been the same without you Ziver, good to have you back"_

He then walked to his desk and half smiled when Ziva whispered a quiet thank-you.

The day went fairly quickly once Ziva got back into the swing of things. She worked through her cold cases, and the distraction tore her away from the bad thoughts that normally plagued her mind. She was harrassed all morning by Abby to go and visit the lab, and at lunchtime Ziva finally managed to tear herself away from her desk. She made her way downstairs, and was all of a sudden a little nervous about seeing Abby. Abby was the friendliest person Ziva had ever met, but she had a way of seeing behind the mask and unleashing a person's true emotions. Ziva was able to hide her angst from McGee, and to some degree from both Tony and Gibbs. But Abby was different. She made Ziva feel guilty for not being truthful. Ziva was not sure she was ready for the emotional talk, but she needn't have worried.

Ziva entered the lab and was greeted by Abby's loud music. She smiled as she watched Abby work for a while, her pigtails swinging from side to side, and the oversized shoes tapping to the beat.

"Hey Abby" Ziva shouted.

Abby turned around, smiled and then turned off the music. She ran over to Ziva and engulfed her in a big hug. Ziva had learnt that it was best to respond immedietely to these hugs, it reduced the amount of burning the lungs had to suffer from suffocation.

"It is so nice to see you back Ziva, I've missed you sooooo much! Well, everyone has missed you, but I think I probably have the most. Although Gibbs has been pretty quiet lately, which I know isn't entirely abnormal, but oh Ziva, welcome back!"

"Thank-you Abby. It is good to be back. I too have missed you"

Ziva was treated to plenty more hugs before being able to leave again.

Whilst Ziva was with Abby, Gibbs had asked Tony about Ziva.

"She seems happier" Gibbs commented.

"She did the most unexpected thing last night. She had nightmares again at home and couldn't sleep. Instead of being stubborn, she came back to my place"

"That's good work DiNozzo. She obviously trusts you"

"She's still fragile, but now she's back at work, I think she'll be alright" Tony replied.

"How long is she going to stay with you?" McGee asked.

"I don't know. I'm not going to push her, the door's open permanently"

Gibbs smiled to himself. He was proud of Tony, in fact, he was proud of his entire team. Whatever things they had gone through together, they never failed to look after each other. He watched as Ziva reaappeared out of the lift and saw Tony's face light up when he saw that Ziva was back. Gibbs was certain that there was more to Tony and Ziva's relationship than just friendship, but as long as they were all happy, he was not going to stand in their way. Not that Gibbs would admit that to them, he would make them suffer first.

"Hey, get yourselves home, all of you. One time offer so don't hang about" Gibbs shouted.

McGee was first to leave, he stopped to tell Ziva how happy he was to see her back before he left. Tony and Ziva left together, arguing about what movie to watch that night. It was just like old time again. But how long would it last?

**So, what did you think? Please leave a little review on the way out :)**


	11. Declaration of Love

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks so much for the alerts and reviews. Sorry for the delay, hope the Tiva loving is worth the wait :)**

**Chapter Eleven - Declaration of Love**

Two weeks had passed since Ziva had returned to work. Things were going well, and Ziva was desperate to get back in the field again. She had continued to part live at Tony's apartment, but had also survived some nights at her own place aswell. The nightmares continued to plague Ziva, although they were starting to lessen a little. It was only on the nights that the nightmares came that Ziva ended up at Tony's. Although it still hurt her to realise that she could no longer cope on her own, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she woke up in the morning alone at her place having slept the whole night. Ziva had got used to the company, and she had got to know Tony very well over the last few weeks. They had been partners for a long time now, and Ziva had grown very close to Tony. The fact that she was missing him when he wasn't around made her wonder if her feelings were starting to get stronger. The sensible part of her dismissed this. A relationship would never work, and Gibbs would never approve, Ziva thought to herself. She also had no idea that Tony was slowly falling in love with her.

Ziva sighed as she woke up alone. She had managed to sleep well that night, and had not needed to visit Tony in the middle of the night. He had now given her a key to his apartment, to save her from picking the lock every time. Her bed felt huge and empty to her now and her heart felt a little empty when she didn't wake up next to his warm body.

"You have got to stop thinking like this" Ziva scolded herself as she dragged herself out of bed. Today she was going to skip her run and get into work early. She was hoping to talk to Gibbs about returning to the field. Ziva knew that she was not quite fully recovered, but she felt strong and more importantly she felt ready.

Tony woke up and was also slightly disappointed that he hadn't had a visitor in the night. He looked forward to the mornings when he woke up next to Ziva. He enjoyed making her breakfast, and making her feel safe. Ziva was now much more than his partner in his mind. She was his best friend, his confidante, and he really wanted much more for them. As he got out of bed, his phone started to ring. He looked at the caller id and smiled.

"Good morning Sweetcheeks, I missed you this morning" Tony said.

"Tony, I need you to come and get me. My stupid car has broken down and I cannot get to work" Ziva replied, sounding stressed.

"Ok, calm down. It's only 06:00!"

"I need to talk to Gibbs this morning and I wanted to do it early. Please can you come as soon as possible?"

"Sure, I'm just gonna grab a shower and I'll be there"

Tony hung up the phone and frowned. He wondered what Ziva wanted to talk to Gibbs about and hoped that everything was alright. He rushed to get ready and drove over to Ziva's in record time. Ziva was pacing outside her apartment when he arrived, cursing in hebrew and occasionally kicking the tyre on her mini cooper. Tony got out of the car and walked over to her.

"Hey, Ziva, what on earth is the matter?"

"Let us go, I am late already" Ziva replied. She was getting very uptight and anxious, and she was not sure how to control it.

"Why don't we go and have a cup of tea upstairs so you can calm down a bit Ziva. You are in no state of mind to have whatever conversation you need to have with Gibbs just yet"

"I am sorry Tony, I am just feeling quite stressed at the moment. Perhaps a cup of tea might be best"

Tony followed Ziva up to the appartment, but once through the door, he guided her to the couch. He made the tea and then sat next to her.

"Come on, tell me what's bothering you"

"I have spent the last few weeks struggling to find myself again. Going back to work has been the best thing for me, and I want to talk to Gibbs about going back into the field. I was already feeling nervous, and the car problem this morning just tipped me over the hedge"

"Over the edge Sweetcheeks. You don't need to be nervous Ziva. I'm sure Gibbs will be fine about you going back into the field, and I will back you up if he has any doubts. I have your back Ziva, and I know you have mine"

"Thank-you"

"Now, drink up and we'll get the torture over with" Tony said, instantly regretting his choice of words when Ziva winced.

An hour later, Tony was sat at his desk, whilst Ziva was upstairs in the directors office with Vance and Gibbs. Ziva had hoped to have the conversation with just Gibbs, but all decisions had to be run through Vance and it was for this reason that Tony was feeling slightly nervous. He kept glancing at the stairs, wanting to capture Ziva's face with a smile on it, and the more time went on, the more worried he was feeling. He didn't need to wait much longer as he heard movement and saw Gibbs and Ziva walking towards him. Both had expressionless faces, and Tony was unable to tell whether it was good news or bad.

"Take your partner out for lunch DiNozzo. She's got something to celebrate" Gibbs said as he sat down at his desk. Tony looked over at Ziva and his wish came true. A big smile was plastered on her face, and Tony knew that he had his partner fully back.

Later that night, Tony was sitting alone in his apartment pondering which movie to watch when there was a knock at the door. He opened it and his face lit up when Ziva was standing there.

"Come on in Sweetcheeks, it's a bit early for you"

"I thought I would bring over a bottle of wine to celebrate my good news. That is if you are free"

"For you, anytime"

They spent the evening having a nice dinner cooked by Ziva, and consuming two bottles of wine. They snuggled on the couch and started to watch one of Tony's movies.

"Thank-you Tony. You have saved me these last few weeks. I thought I was going to lose everything, and to have everything back where I want it today, it is amazing"

"There was no way Gibbs was going to let you go my ninja. And you are welcome" Tony kissed her on the cheek and then lingered over her face before kissing her again on the lips. He was going to pull his lips away, but Ziva began to kiss him back. They pulled apart after a few seconds and just looked at each other.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that!" Tony joked, trying to calm himself.

"I am sorry" Ziva got up off the couch, and started to gather her things.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. Truth is, I love you Ziva. I love you as a partner, as a friend and I love you as the bad ass ninja you are"

"Tony, we cannot do this"

"Admit it Ziva, you love me too"

"I do love you. But there are too many complications"

"Complications don't matter where love is involved. You are the strongest, bravest woman I know, and I want to spend all my time with you. When you are not here with me, it doesn't feel right. You belong with me Ziva"

"I miss when I am not with you too Tony. But I am still fragile right now, and I do not think I could take it if I ever lost you Tony"

"You won't ever lose me Ziva"

Tony pulled Ziva into him and held her tight. They began to kiss again, getting more and more passionate as time went on. Was this the start of something beautiful?

**Aw, I just love those two :) Please let me know what you think, and what you would like to see happen xx**


	12. A Break

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - It has been a really long time since I updated this. I have been very busy and also lost track of where I wanted this story to go. I'm still not entirely sure but I hope you haven't all deserted this. I need the support! Please read and review :)**

**Chapter Twelve - A Break**

Tony and Ziva had continued to become closer and closer as the weeks went past. Ziva was enjoying being back in the field at work, and had revelled in being able to take down suspects again without it leaving her trembling with fear. It had been six weeks, and Ziva could count on one hand, the amount of nights she had spent in her own apartment. And this was not due to having nightmares anymore, but the fact that her and Tony were no longer just partners or friends anymore, they were in love.

Tony had known for a long time that he loved Ziva, and it had not taken her much longer to realise that she felt the same way. She had been extremely nervous about starting a relationship with him at first. Tony had become her rock, and she was scared that if things didn't work out, then she would lose him forever. But Tony had known this, and had spent a lot of time talking to Ziva about her fears, and making a promise that if the worst came to the worst, she would always be his best friend. Tony had also spent a lot of time with Gibbs. His boss was more like a father figure, and he knew how strongly Gibbs felt about his rules and his agents breaking them. Gibbs was satisfied that Tony and Ziva were not going to ruin their partnership at work, and he had come to realise over the last few weeks that their relationship was actually necessary.

Tony woke up that morning and smiled as he saw that his partner had already deserted him for her morning run. How Ziva managed to function so early in the morning was beyond him, but he knew that he would have time to have breakfast prepared for her return. Tony jumped in the shower and got dressed for the day. He was in the kitchen pouring two cups of coffee when the front door opened. He watched as Ziva walked into the living room and began to do some stretches.

"You look very sexy this morning Agent David" Tony stood in the doorway, holding his coffee.

"What, covered in sweat and panting?"

"Sounds a lot like last night" Tony's eyebrows shot up in the air and he smirked.

"You are disgusting! I am going in the shower" Ziva gave Tony a quick kiss on the cheek and left to get ready for work.

They had barely walked into the ballpen when Gibbs arrived barking his orders.

"Gear up! Dead marine found at a warehouse downtown. Ziva, you get to drive today" Gibbs smiled at her delight.

"Really boss? We would like to get to the crime scene alive" Tony scoffed.

"Yeah boss, no offense Ziva but your driving just doesn't get any better" McGee said, looking green.

"Hey, don't offend my girl McQueasy" Tony argued.

"Cut it out the pair of you or I'll let Ziva drive permanently" Gibbs replied, giving them both a slap on the back of their heads. The team made their way to the elevator and left for the scene.

On arrival, Tony and McGee were clutching their stomachs, whilst Ziva practically skipped out of the van. She began to take some pictures, whilst Tony bagged the evidence.

"What do we know McGee?" Gibbs knelt next to his agent as he got fingerprint details.

"Victim is Lieutenant Michael Teller, age 34. Impeccable service record, recently awarded a medal for length of service" McGee replied.

"There is a blood trail over here Gibbs, seems like whoever attacked the Lieutenant may have been injured too" Ziva shouted.

"Tony, go with Ziva and check it out" Gibbs ordered.

Tony was more than happy to work closely with Ziva. It was hard to keep their hands off each other at work, but the last thing they wanted was Gibbs'  
>disapproval.<p>

"Leads over there by those crates" Tony said, whilst Ziva continued to take photos.

They were closing in on the crates when there was a bang and a bullet flew past, catching Ziva on the arm. She moaned out in pain but was able to draw out her gun. Tony also had his pointed.

"You ok?" Tony whispered to Ziva, knowing that she would probably not give him a proper answer.

"I will live" Ziva replied, although the pain was starting to get worse and she could feel the steady stream of blood running down her arm.

A man stood up from behind the crates and was holding his gun in Ziva's direction.

"You need to put the gun down now and come out" Tony shouted. He could feel Gibbs and Mcgee walking up to support them.

"Please just go away or I will shoot her" the man replied.

Tony looked across at Ziva to make sure she was ok, both mentally and physically. She looked a little pale, but she was standing strong and Tony was proud of her.

"I repeat, put the gun down and come out. Don't do anything stupid" Tony shouted again.

"I can't do that, I'm sorry"

Tony watched the man speak and realised that he was going to shoot at Ziva. He ran towards her and pushed her to the floor as two guns went off. Tony felt the fire from a bullet streak into his stomach and he groaned as he fell to the floor. His landing was soft, which confused him for a while, and then he realised he had landed on top of Ziva. Tony tried to roll off her, but the pain was too much. Gibbs and McGee ran over to Tony and lifted him off Ziva.

McGee began to put pressure on the growing pool of blood on Tony's abdomen. Gibbs called an ambulance and then made his way over to Ziva who was trying to sit up. She had been winded when Tony had landed on her, and she was pretty sure that she may have cracked a rib but she was more concerned about Tony.

"Hey Ziver, how are you doing?" Gibbs asked.

"I am fine, I need to see Tony"

Gibbs helped Ziva up and walked her the short distance to Tony. He was pale and unconscious and Ziva began to cry. She knelt down next to him and grabbed hold of his hand.

"Do not do this to me Tony, please do not leave me"

It did not take long for the ambulances to arrive, and Tony was quickly scooped up and taken straight to the hospital. Ziva had been hysterical and had wanted to ride with him, but she was also growing increasingly dizzy from the blood loss of her own gun shot wound and it did not take much to placate her. Gibbs told McGee to wait at the scene for Ducky and Palmer, and he rode to the hospital with Ziva.

By the time McGee had got to the hospital, both Tony and Ziva were in surgery.

"Hey Boss, Ducky has taken the two bodies back to autopsy. The man we shot was Lieutenant James Marco. According to Lieutenant Teller's wife, Marco was jealous of Teller's success and that's why he shot him"

"Didn't get him far did it"

"Have you heard any news yet?"

"They said Ziva shouldn't take too long and will recover fine, Tony is a little more complicated but they'll know more after his operation"

"There's always a drama isn't there boss"

"Always gonna happen with those two Mcgee. I'm going to grab a coffee"

Gibbs walked off with a sigh. When would his team get a break?

**So please leave a little thought so I know there's still some interest out there :)**


	13. It's Tony

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N- Thanks for the alerts/reviews. Good to know people are still reading this :)**

**Chapter Thirteen - It's Tony**

Ziva was out of surgery after an hour. The bullet had lodged just under the surface of her arm The surgeons had removed it, stiched her wound and were hopeful that she would have no lasting damage. Tony was a different story. His bullet had torn through his stomach and had lodged in his small intestine. His surgery had been long and complex and had left him in intensive care.

"Will he make a full recovery?" Gibbs had asked the surgeon.

"He is stable for now, but his injury was very severe. There is a high risk of infection and he has lost a lot of blood. The next 24 hours are critical"

Gibbs had briefly visited Tony, but was only allowed to stay for a few minutes. He had been shocked by Tony's appearance. He was on a ventilator, and had wires leading from nearly every part of his body. Gibbs was waiting for Tony's eyes to open and for him to sit up in bed and crack a joke. But he was lying so still, his skin pale and waxy. Gibbs made his way out of the intensive care unit and joined McGee in Ziva's room.

"How's he doing Boss" McGee looked worried.

"Not so good Tim. Any sign of life here yet?" Gibbs rubbed his forehead and sat down next to Ziva's bed. He reached out and held her hand.

"Nothing yet. The doctor came in again and said she should be waking up soon. She can be discharged tomorrow if she is well"

"You should go and be with Abby. Go home and rest, I'll meet you back here in the morning"

"Call me if anything happens"

McGee gave Ziva a kiss on the cheek and bid Gibbs goodnight. Gibbs watched Ziva and sighed. In all honesty, he was worried about how Ziva would be when she woke up. She had been so worried about Tony, and he was dreading having to tell her how sick he was. Tony had become Ziva's rock over the last few weeks. He had nursed her back to full health after her emotional breakdown, and Gibbs wasn't sure that she was going to be able to cope without him. He sent some silent prayers to whoever might be listening to help him get his agents through this latest trauma.

As Gibbs had predicted, Ziva was upset and worried when she woke up. Gibbs had spent the first hour watching her for any sign of life, but had drifted off to sleep eventually. He had been woken by Ziva's scream when she had sat bolt upright in bed after waking up.

"Hey Ziver, easy. Lie back down"

"Tony? Where is he? Is he ok?" Ziva had practically screamed at Gibbs. She had been dreaming about the attack in the warehouse, and had woken up at the moment where Tony had been shot.

"Let me get the doctors to check you out first, and then we will talk about DiNozzo" Gibbs had replied, trying to buy himself time.

The doctor had been in and assessed Ziva. They prescribed some more pain medication although Ziva was relunctant to take it.

"Either take it Ziva, or I will force you to stay in hospital for a week" Gibbs had stated. That, and his icy stare had made Ziva relent.

Once she had calmed down a bit, she asked once again about Tony.

"He is stable at the moment, his injury was very severe and he is in intensive care. If anyone can get through this it's Tony"

"Is he going to die?" Ziva said quietly.

"No! I didn't give him permission to die, so don't you give up on him. Now I want you to get some more sleep"

"How am I supposed to sleep? I need to see Tony"

"Ziva, you are recovering from anaesthetic and it is the middle of the night"

This was the point where Ziva began to panic. Gibbs did consider calling the nurses to sedate her, but he knew the only way to snap her out of it was to take her to see Tony. It took some persuading, but eventually the nursing staff allowed it. So at half past four in the morning, Gibbs found himself sitting outside the intensive care unit, watching a very unstable Ziva crying next to Tony's bed.

"Tony, I'm so sorry. I should have taken him down. It should be me lying here not you. Why did you have to push me out of the way?" Ziva clung on to Tony's hand and sobbed.

Gibbs watched the heartbreaking scene from outside, and was interrupted from his viewing by one of the nurses.

"I'm really sorry to have to ask, but we need to change Mr DiNozzo's dressings and lines"

"You need me to take Ziva back don't you? That's not gonna be easy" Gibbs interrupted.

"I'm sorry sir. She can come back later, but we don't normally allow visitors at this time of night anyway"

Gibbs had entered the room and made his way over to Tony.

"Come on Ziva, let's get back"

"I'm not leaving him" Ziva said, stubbornly.

"Ziver, the nurses need to get to Tony. They've been kind by letting you see him, we can come back first thing in the morning"

"No Gibbs. I can't leave him" Ziva was becoming hysterical.

"I'm sorry for this Ziva" Gibbs said. He held her in his arms and then picked her up and carried her out of the room. Ziva sobbed all the way back to her room and when connected to the heart monitor, her vitals were going haywire and the doctor ordered her to be sedated. Ziva had fought this, screaming and crying that she would be alright and she would sleep. But after a few minutes had passed and she was still not calm, therefore she was given sedation.

Gibbs sat next to her bed for the rest of the night and stroked her head. Once again, Ziva's world had been turned upside down. The one person she had opened up her whole life to, the one person she trusted with everything, was lying fighting for his life. Gibbs knew that if Tony didn't make it, he would not just lose Tony, he would lose Ziva as well. He could never understand why one person had to go through so much pain in one lifetime. Ziva's life had been a struggle since birth. She had witnessed so much death in her life, she could not afford to witness any more. As she let out a snore, Gibbs kissed her cheek and made a silent promise to her that eveything would be alright.

Ziva was still asleep when McGee arrived at 08:00. Gibbs had not slept and was half amused when he saw McGee run into the room, out of breath. He then noticed the panic in his eyes and stood up.

"What's the matter McGee?"

"It's Tony"

**Oh No! What's happened to Tony? And how will Ziva cope? All will be revealed next time. Please let me know what you think :)**


	14. Depression

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Wow is all I can say. Thanks for all the lovely reviews and alerts - amazing. Please keep them coming :)**

**Chapter Fourteen - Depression**

McGee had revealed that Tony had started bleeding internally again and had been taken back to theatre for emergency surgery. Gibbs had let out a growl and the commotion had woken Ziva from her slumber. She was a bit dazed and confused from the sedative, but on seeing the worried expressions on the faces of Gibbs and McGee, she had demanded to know what was going on.

It had been two weeks since that day. Tony was still in intensive care. He had been placed into a coma after the second surgery, but his plague damaged lungs had welcomed the ventilation a little too much, and the doctors were having trouble weaning him off. He had remained unconscious and the stress and worry had shot to the core of the team.

Abby had been inconsolable for the first few days. McGee had been given the task of breaking the news to her, and had spent most of his time with her either at home or in her lab. McGee had also taken it hard. Although Tony did nothing but spend his days playing practical jokes on McGee, Tim did have a lot of respect for his colleague and he missed him.

Ducky and Palmer were managing to carry on with their work as usual, but the team had been placed on standby for a while, so it was mainly paperwork and training. Vance had threatened to replace Tony with a supply agent for a while, but Gibbs had fought this until Tony was in a better state of health. Gibbs tried to hide his worry, but deep down everybody could see he was devastated. There were no guarantees that Tony was going to pull through this episode, and for once Gibb's gut was not telling him anything either way.

Of course, the most affected person was Ziva. She had been discharged the following day after her surgery. For a while, she had refused to leave the hospital. She had spent the entire length of Tony's surgery pacing the surgical floor, ignoring all protests for her to rest. Her arm had been throbbing but Ziva had ignored it. The pain was real, it reminded her of the fact that she was alive, and Tony was fighting for his life. Once Tony was out of theatre and stable in intensive care, Ziva had been allowed a quick visit. Ziva had sat next to Tony's bed, clutching onto his hand as if she was afraid that someone would come along and snatch it from her. She had been extremely reluctant to leave his bedside, and only left once it was explained that the nurses were unable to help Tony if they could not reach him. Gibbs had taken her back to his house. He was concerned about her state of mind, and did not want to leave her alone. Abby had offered to look after Ziva, but seeing that she was barely lasting five minutes without crying, Gibbs had kindly dismissed that suggestion.

Ziva had stayed with Gibbs for two days. She had barely left the spare room, and Gibbs was struggling to get her to eat anything, let alone take her antibiotics. When she had woken up with a temperature on the second morning, Ducky was called to give her a lecture. He had told her that she was no good for Tony in this state, and that she needed to look after herself. Ziva had spent that conversation with her head looking down at the floor and avoiding eye contact. By the end of the visit, she had taken her tablets and had eaten half a sandwich.

Ziva was comforted by the concern from the team, but after two days of constant supervision, she had had enough. She woke up and packed her things together. She crept down the stairs and saw no sign of Gibbs. No doubt he would be in his basement sanding down some piece of wood. Ziva left the house and walked a few blocks before calling a taxi. She didn't go home though. She went to the one place that would comfort her. As she unlocked the door to Tony's apartment, the feelings from the last few days began to overwhelm her. She made her way to the bedroom and laid down on the bed. She felt underneath Tony's pillow and pulled out his t shirt that he slept in. She pulled it close to her face and inhaled the familiar scent. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, and she fell into a restless slumber.

This is the way Ziva spent the next few days. She managed to pull herself together for a few minutes each day, to go to the bathroom and to grab a quick drink. She even continued to take her antibiotics, hearing Ducky's stern accent in the back of her mind. But after the first week, Ziva couldn't remember the last time she had eaten or taken a shower. She knew that this was not healthy for her, and that she was not helping Tony, but her coping mechanism was gone. Whenever anything went wrong, Tony sorted it out. Ziva knew she could rely on anybody else on the team, but it was not the same. Gibbs had found Ziva on day four. He was upset when he saw the state she was in, and almost considered dragging her to the hospital to be assessed, but he knew that would not help her. So he spent the time talking about Tony and what was happening with him. Ziva had listened, but made no conversation. Gibbs left Tony's apartment after every visit with an empty heart. He had lost two agents, would he ever get them back?

Gibbs had shared his concerns with the rest of the team. Vance had signed Ziva off sick for two weeks, and said he would review it on a weekly basis. Abby, McGee and Ducky had also visited Ziva, but they too had little success of getting anything out of her. As Ducky pointed out, there was nothing physically wrong with her, but she was struggling with depression as she had done before, and he was hopeful that once Tony started to improve, so too would Ziva. All they could do was make sure she was eating, and spend some time with her, even if she didn't respond to anything. Abby had taken it upon herself to ensure Ziva at least took a shower once a day. She had to practically force her into the bathroom, but Ziva always compled eventually. Abby spent the time talking to Ziva about anything and everything. It was unnatural for Abby to be quiet, but it was very frustrating to have a one sided conversation.

Ziva couldn't explain what was going on in her head. She so desperately wanted to be back to normal, but she was so far down the road to nowhere, that she wasn't sure she even knew what normal was anymore. She wanted to talk to her team, she wanted to leave the apartment to go and sit with Tony, but the feelings of panic and loss would overwhelm her and she would just cry at the thought of leaving her safety net. Tony's apartment was the closest place to him, and the closest thing to feeling safe. Ziva felt that if she was to leave there, or if she was to respond to anyone, then she would lose her safety net, and then where would that leave her? So she continued to live in a silent world. She listened to the updates from the hospital, but they were always the same.

_"Tony is stable, the doctors are hoping he will wake up soon"_

Well, the doctors had been saying that for two weeks and it hadn't happened yet.

On the fourteenth night, Ziva was laying in bed willing herself to sleep. She had little energy from the fact that she was doing nothing with her time, but sleep still evaded her. She heard the front door click, and frowned. It was 23:00 and far too late for anyone to be visiting. She reached under her pillow and wrapped her fingers around her gun. The bedroom door opened slowly, and Ziva could feel her heart racing. Gibbs entered the room with his hands up in the air as if to surrender. He knew that he would probably have freaked Ziva out, and he knew that she slept with a gun. He sat down on the bed and took her hand in his.

"He's awake"

**So what did you think? Will there be a little tiva reunion next time? Will Ziva have the strength to leave the apartment? Review and then you might find out!**


	15. The Visit

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - So sorry for the gap in updates, it's been hard to update with work, family issues and sickness, but here's the next part. Please read and review :)**

**Chapter Fifteen - The Visit**

Gibbs hadn't been sure at first that Ziva had heard what he had said. There was no reaction, no spark in her eyes, nothing. Ziva continued to look down at the floor. Her hands remained in his, and he gave them a little squeeze to try and bring Ziva back into reality. Eventually Ziva swallowed, and then the tears came. At first, they were silent and there were few, but these soon turned into louder cries until Ziva was practically screaming. Gibbs was not sure what to do. He tried to embrace Ziva in a hug to try and comfort her, but she shrugged off his arms. She moved herself off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Gibbs was at a loss. He knew that Ziva would be emotional, but this was beyond anything he had ever dealt with before. He decided to give her some time and his thoughts turned to the hospital.

Gibbs had visited Tony as normal that afternoon. As he had arrived at the ICU, he noticed there was a flurry of activity surrounding Tony's bed. He had rushed through the doors and had demanded to know what was going on. The doctor had explained that Tony had finally woken up, and had extubated himself. They were trying to calm him down as he was disorientated, and were taking him for a CT scan to ensure that his brain was alright. But the early indications looked very promising. Gibbs came round from his thoughts and took himself to the bathroom door. He had to sort the most pressing problem out - Ziva.

Ziva was collapsed on the bathroom floor. All the crying combined with a lack of food had led to no energy and Ziva was having trouble focusing on what she should be doing. She knew that Gibbs would be wondering what she was doing, but in all honesty she had no idea. She was overwhelmed by the fact that Tony was awake. She had spent the last two weeks basically mourning him, and believing that he was going to die. Now, he was back in her life and she was locked in the bathroom! A wave of nausea hit Ziva and she retched into the toilet. She heard a soft knock on the door and knew it would be Gibbs. After all those days of ignoring the team and having no physical contact with anyone, she longed for a hug. She reached over and unlocked the door, then took her place back by the toilet as she was unsure her stomach had stopped doing summersaults yet.

Gibbs opened the door slowly and saw Ziva perched next to the toilet. Her face was pale, and she had tear tracks running down both cheeks. The baggy jumper she was wearing was practically hanging off her. Gibbs heart sank as he took in her appearance. He now had some idea of what Tony had been through with Ziva after her breakdown over Cobb. He held out his hands and smiled as she took them in hers. He gently pulled her up from the floor and embraced her. Once again Ziva began to cry, but this time it was out of relief and love. Gibbs gave her a few minutes to calm back down and then led her out into the bedroom. He sat her down on the bed.

"I have to see him" Ziva said. It was the first words she had uttered in days.

"I know you do Ziva, and you will. But we have to sort you out first. You need to shower, you need to eat and you need to sleep"

"I have been sleeping! I have done nothing but sleep" Ziva argued.

"Proper sleep Ziva. Jump in the shower and I'll make you something to eat"

"I am not hungry, my stomach is not up to food"

"That's the deal Ziver, you wanna see Tony, you gotta start looking after yourself"

Ziva was going to argue, but she knew she wouldn't win this fight. She sighed, grabbed a towel and clean clothes and made her way to the bathroom. She had to admit it, she felt much better after a shower, and her stomach had started to rumble a little. She walked out into the kitchen and was sat down at the table by Gibbs, who placed a cup of tea and some toast in front of her.

"Visiting hours are over for tonight, get some proper sleep and I'll pick you up in the morning. Don't let him down Ziva" Gibbs ordered, placing a kiss on her temple.

"I am having trouble sleeping. I have spent the last week lying in bed, but everytime I close my eyes, I see Tony fall to the floor after being shot. It was my fault Gibbs, it should have been me"

"Do you want me to stay tonight Ziver?"

"That will not be necessary, you have done enough tonight. Now I know Tony is alright, maybe I will sleep, yes?"

"Call me"

"I will. Thank-you Gibbs"

Gibbs left Ziva's house feeling more positive. He headed back to the hospital. He had told Ziva a slight lie in that visiting hours were over. The staff were more than happy for Ziva to visit, but Gibbs had deemed it more important to get her healthy first. Gibbs walked back into the ICU and sat next to Tony. He was receiving oxygen through a mask, but he looked comfortable.

"Hello Mr Gibbs. You'll be pleased to hear that the scan came back fine, and Tony has been a lot more orientated the last couple of hours. He is still on painkillers which are making him drowsy, but his wound is healing nicely. He should be moved out of here tomorrow" One of the nurses came to update Gibbs.

Gibbs thanked the nurse and continued to watch Tony sleep for a while. Once he knew that he was not going to get any conversation from his senior agent, he decided to follow his advice to Ziva and get some sleep. He knew Ziva was going to be quite emotional again tomorrow, and wanted to be prepared for that.

Ziva had managed to sleep reasonably well. She woke up at 06:00 and felt awake so went for a run. She had missed exercising, and the morning air energised her. By the time Gibbs arrived, she was showered, fed and watered. Gibbs wasn't sure what he had expected so it was a pleasant surprise.

"You feeling better this morning David?" Gibbs asked, as she got in his car.

"Yes thank-you. I am nervous about seeing Tony, and I feel very guilty that I have left him alone all this time. He would never have left my side had it been the other way round" Ziva looked down at her lap, her restless fingers playing with the buttons on her cardigan.

"Ziver, you have been through too much for someone of your age. There comes a time when dealing with new things becomes too hard and you just shut down. You did what you had to do to get yourself through it, and it's no-one elses business how you do it. What matters is that you're here now, and besides, Tony's not gonna know who's been there and who hasn't"

"Let us go" Ziva said, signalling the end of the conversation. She would not accept that she had not done wrong by Tony, but she had the chance to make it up to him now.

As they approached the ICU doors, Ziva's nerves got the better of her. She bolted to the nearest bathroom and emptied her stomach. Gibbs waited patiently outside, and gave her a warm smile as a slightly paler version of Ziva rejoined him.

"You ok?"

"Probably not best to ask" Ziva replied. They made their way into ICU and Gibbs strode over to Tony's bedside. Ziva hung back by the doors, not sure what to do, until Gibbs took her by the shoulders and guided her into a chair. She took Tony's hand in hers and stroked it gently. Gibbs slowly backed away, wanting to leave them in private.

Tony was having a nice dream. He was lying in bed with Ziva, and she was holding his hand. He could feel the delicate touch of her fingers stroking his palm. He frowned when the feeling began to feel real. He didn't want to wake up as he was enjoying the dream, but he was too inquisitive. Ziva watched as Tony's eyes started to flutter and slowly open. He turned his head and smiled as he looked at her beautiful face. He reached up to his face with the hand Ziva wasn't holding and snatched the oxygen mask away from his face.

"Good morning Sweetcheeks, why the sad face? Who died?" Tony joked. He was still unaware of the full events of what had happened to him, and had no idea how close he had been to dying. Ziva let out a sob and ran from the room. Tony was confused and looked up at Gibbs who had walked over to the bed.

"If you weren't in ICU and surrounded by medical staff, you'd get a pretty big head slap right now DiNozzo" Gibbs stated and then made his way out of the room. Once again, his mission was to sort out Ziva. Gibbs sighed, he was too old and tired for this.


	16. A Promise

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Was hoping for a few more reviews, but thanks very much for the ones I got. I'm trying to update this as quickly as I can but it's not always easy.**

**Chapter Sixteen - A Promise**

Gibbs had found Ziva at the end of the corridor that led to the ICU. She was slumped against a wall, silently crying. He walked up to her and tipped her chin up to make eye contact with her.

"You gotta pull yourself together Ziver. Whatever DiNozzo said, he's not aware of anything that has happened to him over the last two weeks. He thinks the shooting happened yesterday" Gibbs explained.

"He told me I looked sad, and then asked me who died. I am sorry Gibbs. I did not mean to walk out on him again, but it just made me think about how close we were to losing him and it overwhelmed me"

"No need to apologise Ziver, and I don't need to remind you of that rule. Come on, they're going to move him to a regular ward soon so you better get your visit in now"

Ziva walked back into the ICU alone. Gibbs had gone to do a coffee run, and wanted to leave Ziva to deal with Tony alone.

"Hey, Ziva, are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you" Tony said, as Ziva took her place next to his bed.

"I am fine Tony. You just have no idea what you have put us through over the last two weeks" Ziva explained everything to Tony and by the end of it, he was looking concerned but relieved that he was still alive.

"It's a good job I had you by my side then Sweetcheeks" Tony smiled, giving Ziva's hand a tender kiss.

"That is something else we need to talk about, but I do not want to tire you out" Ziva said.

"Now you've got me worried Ziva, you can't say that and not explain"

"I have found the last two weeks very hard Tony. I had another breakdown, I could not cope with the thought that I might lose you. I have been selfish and have put my needs before yours. Today is the first time I have visited you since you were first brought in. I have been struggling to wash, eat, look after myself. I have been sleeping at your apartment just to feel close to you. I am so sorry Tony, after everything you have done for me, and I have treated you like this" Ziva looked down at her lap, unwilling to make eye contact with Tony.

"Ziva David, you are the most important thing in my life. It doesn't matter that you haven't been here, because you are here now. I know how hard it must have been for you, and I'm pleased that my apartment made you feel comforted. Please don't beat yourself up Ziva, I love you, and nothing will change that"

"I love you too Tony" Ziva reached over the bed and kissed him on the lips. It felt so good to have contact with him again.

"I'm gonna call the doctors if you two are gonna start playing grab ass" Gibbs said from the door. Tony and Ziva sprung apart and looked sheepish.

"Hey Boss" Tony said.

"Just spoke to your doctor DiNozzo. They're gonna move you to a ward, keep you in for a few more days and then you'll be good to go home. You'll need someone to stay with you for a while till you're back on your feet, but I assume you have someone in mind for that" Gibbs smirked.

"I will happily oblige" Ziva replied.

Tony was moved to a new room, and Ziva was enjoying spending quality time with him. Gibbs had gone back to work, McGee and Abby had visited earlier. Abby had been hysterical with happiness to see Tony awake and had practically rugby tackled him in the bed. Now it was just Tony and Ziva again.

"Ziva, I have been thinking"

"Are you sure that is wise? You have just come out of a coma" Ziva replied.

"Very funny David. I know this might be too much of a big step for you, but I want you to consider it. I need someone to look after me, and you need someone to take care of you. I want you to move in with me permanently"

For a while Ziva didn't say anything, and Tony was worried that he had pushed her too far. It made sense in his head, she practically stayed most of the time anyway.

"It is a big step Tony, and I would be lying if I was not worried that it is too early. But, I feel safe with you around, and I need that more than ever. So yes I will move in with you" Ziva said.

Tony gestured for Ziva to lie on the bed with him and he wrapped his arms around her. It was not long before both were asleep.

Gibbs had visited the hospital again later that evening, to give Ziva a lift home. When he arrived, they were both still fast asleep. Ziva looked so content and peaceful, and she had more colour in her cheeks than she had had for the last two weeks. Gibbs really hoped that this was the end of drama for the two of them, and that they could all get back to as normal a life as possible. He hated to wake Ziva, but he knew the nurses would come and do it anyway. He gently shook her shoulder and she sat bolt upright in the bed.

"Easy Ziver, it's time to come home. Looks like he's out for the night anyway"

Ziva looked over at Tony, who was gently snoring with a slight smile on his face. She kissed him on the cheek and climbed off the bed. She was silent for most of the journey home, until they pulled up outside Tony's apartment.

"I figured you would want to come back here to sleep" Gibbs stated.

"Thank-you Gibbs, not just for the lift, but for the last two weeks. I am very lucky to have you all"

"And we are lucky to have you Ziva, and don't forget it. Now get your butt in there and eat and sleep!"

"Yes Boss"

That night, everybody went to bed happy.

Three days had passed, and Tony had made excellent progress. His wound had healed nicely, and he was able to move around without too much pain. He had been discharged home, and was now sitting on the couch in his apartment.

"Are you comfortable Tony?" Ziva asked.

"I am fine Ziva. Please come and sit down with me. It's movie time"

Ziva joined him on the couch and cuddled up next to him. Tony switched the television on and put on a film. Ziva's heart filled with warmth as she realised that in this moment, she had everything she had ever wanted or needed. Tony noticed the strange look on her face.

"You alright Sweetcheeks?" He asked, concerned.

"I am more than alright Tony. I love you so much. Please do not ever leave me again"

"I won't ever leave you Ziva. I promise"

**Please please leave a little comment, it means a lot :)**


	17. Fairytale

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - So sorry for the loooong delay, I just have hardly any time to write these days. Thanks for the continued support, I'm not sure how much longer to keep this going.**

**Chapter Seventeen - Fairytale**

Two months had passed since Tony and Ziva had officially moved in had almost got back to normal. Tony had healed well, and although Ziva continued to have the odd nightmare, the closeness of living with Tony meant that they were easier to deal with. Tony had been back to work for the last month and Team Gibbs were finally whole again. Ziva had enjoyed making Tony's apartment more like a home, and she had dragged Tony out on numerous shopping trips to make his apartment look less like a 'man pad'. Abby, of course, had insisted on being part of this, although Ziva had had to ensure that not to much black was purchased.

"Surely you can't have bought any more stuff Sweetcheeks!" Tony greeted Ziva at the door after another shopping trip.

"Only a few minor things, and one important thing" Ziva replied, placing her bags on the floor. She closed the front door and then melted into a hug from Tony.

"I missed you" Tony said.

"It's only been two hours!"

"Are you going to tell me what is happening tonight?" Tony asked. Ziva had told him that she was taking him out for dinner for a special occasion, but she had been reluctant to divulge any more information than that.

"We are going out to dinner. That is all you are allowed to know Tony. Do not try and flish out any more information"

"Fish Ziva. Alright, I won't. Am I allowed to know where we are going?"

"Tony!"

"Sorry Sweetcheeks"

Tony did spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get information out of Ziva. He even tried ringing McGee and Abby, but they either had no clue, or had been sworn to secrecy as they too would not tell him anything.

It was 19:00. Tony was standing in the kitchen waiting for Ziva. He had not seen her for over an hour, and when she walked into the kitchen, his heart almost skipped a beat. She was wearing a silk green dress, down to the knees. It hugged her body perfectly. She had let her hair curl naturally, and it sat past her shoulders, almost dancing as she walked. Tony, himself dressed smartly in a suit, walked over to her and kissed her.

"You look beautiful darling" Tony said.

"And you look very handsome. Let us go"

They made their way downstairs, and Tony was surprised to see Gibbs waiting in a car.

"Hey Boss, just visiting?"

"I'm the taxi" Gibbs replied in his gruff voice.

Tony held the passenger door open for Ziva, and then climbed into the back seat.

"Thank-you Gibbs. It is much appreciated" Ziva said.

Gibbs dropped them in town, outside of an exclusive and expensive Italian restaurant. Tony and Ziva said their good-byes and then made their way inside.

"Good evening, how can I help you?" A waiter greeted them.

"I have a table booked for 19:30, under the name David" Ziva replied.

"Ah yes, please come this way"

Tony was astonished as they were led into a private area of the restaurant. They were taken to a candlelit table, and romantic music was playing in the backround. There was a bucket of champagne on the table, and as soon as they were seated, a glass was poured for each of them. They were then left alone to ponder the menu.

"This is amazing Ziva, thank-you. Am I allowed to know what it's for yet?" Tony asked.

"I am pleased you like it. You will have to wait a little longer I am afraid" Ziva replied.

As the night went on, Tony could see that Ziva was getting more and more on edge. She had barely eaten her starter, and was now struggling to get through her main course.

"Are you alright Ziva? Are you feeling unwell?" Tony had noticed the paleness of her skin.

"I am alright. I did not want to do this just yet, but it seems that my body has other ideas" Ziva said.

"What do you mean?"

Ziva took something out of her handbag and held it in between her hands.

"Tony, the last few months have been nothing but a challenge, but they have also been some of the best times in my life. Growing up, I never dreamed that I would have a life like this, or a family like this. I honestly thought I would have been dead by now, and it has come close a few times. You have saved me more times than I deserve, and I count my blessings every day that I met you. When you were shot, and I nearly lost you, I realised how important you were to me, and how I never want to get close to losing you ever again. I know this is very cliche, and it is not something I thought I would ever do, but Anthony DiNozzo, will you marry me?" Ziva opened her hands to reveal a box. She opened it up, and revealed a gold band inside.

Tony was in shock. He stared at Ziva, and then the box, and back to Ziva again. He was overwhelmed. It was only the whiteness of Ziva's face that made him speak in the end, as he was frightened she was going to faint. He took Ziva's hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I have been going over and over in my head about what tonight could have been about. I never in a million years would have guessed this. But tonight, you have made me the proudest and loved man in the world. I only hope I can be the best husband to you, because you deserve the best Ziva. It would be my honour to be your husband"

Ziva took the ring and placed it on Tony's finger. She had regained some of her colour, although she was still shaking. Tony stood up and pulled Ziva up with him. He took her in his arms and they began to sway to the music, the food forgotten about. Their fairytale ending had just about come true.

**Hope that wasn't too predictable! Now, I need opinions - do I wrap it up in the next chapter, or do I carry on? Reviews have been waning a little over the last couple of updates so am not sure if anyone is interested anymore. Thanks :)**


	18. Return of a Nightmare

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I own Nothing**

**A/N - More apologies for the delay. Work is far too busy and time consuming :( Thanks for sticking by this.**

**Chapter Eighteen - Return of a Nightmare**

It had been a bad week for Ziva. She had suffered from nightmares most nights, and had spent the early hours of the morning in the bathroom, either showering from all the sweat, or losing the contents of her stomach. Tony, of course, was very concerned about this, and had tried to talk to Ziva about it, but she was not opening up. As the days went by, Tony got more and more frustrated. He decided that he needed to talk to Ziva, and that conversation had to happen whether she liked it or not. Tony waited for Ziva to get out of the bathroom. It was saturday morning, and Tony was relieved that they would have the whole weekend to sort things out. Thankfully, Ziva had not been sick this morning, but she had woken up at 02:00 and 05:30 from nightmares. Those nightmares still terrified Tony. They started off small, just tiny moans and a few jerks, but then the intensity grew until Ziva was shouting out and fighting unknown demons in her sleep. They alarmed Tony, not because they were new to him as they weren't, but because it had been a few months since the incident with Cobb and Tony had hoped she was over the effects of that.

Ziva entered the room and noticed Tony sitting on the bed waiting for her. She noted that there was a cup of steaming tea set on the bedside table. She sighed and began to pull on some clothes.

"Please come and talk to me Ziva. I need to know what's going on" Tony pleaded.

"If you do not know what this is about, then I am not going to spell it out for you" Ziva replied, and grabbed her running shoes. It was still only half six in the morning, but Ziva was not in the mood to be trapped in the house.

"Come on Ziva. Last week you were asking me to marry you, and this week you won't talk to me. What have I done wrong?"

"It is not all about you Tony. Take a look at the date and let me know when your brain decides to make an appearance" Ziva stormed out of the room and a few seconds later, Tony heard the front door slam.

Tony sat in bed thinking about what Ziva had said. It was september the 16th. Not a particularly special date. It wasn't Ziva's birthday or anyone else's for that matter. Tony frowned as he tried to realise what Ziva was getting at. He started to think about the nightmares, and his gut started to fill with dread as he slowly came to terms with the issue at hand. Somalia. In two days, it would be three years since they rescued Ziva from that hell hole. Tony slammed his hand down on the quilt, both in frustration and anger that he had failed to realise this. Tony really didn't know what to do. He knew that Ziva had left the house angry, and that she had every right to feel like that. How could he have forgotten this? He thought that date would have been imprinted in his brain forever, but with everything that had happened lately, he had not thought about that place for a long time. As far as he was concerned, Saleem and Somalia were over, but he had only had to contend with one days captivity, Ziva had somehow lived through four months.

Tony waited for an hour for Ziva to come home. She was normally only gone for thirty minutes, but Tony wasn't surprised that she needed a bit longer today. When she hadn't returned after an hour, he became concerned, especially as the rain started to pour down heavily. He decided to go out and look for her so pulled on his tracksuit and left the warmth of the house. Tony knew Ziva's usual route and he ran round, looking in every direction for her. Halfway round the park, he came across a bench, which contained the lonely form of his fiancee. Tony slowed down and walked over to her, not wanting to alarm her. As he got close, it was hard to tell if she was crying or not, as the rain was dripping off her. It was only the gentle movement of her shoulders and the odd sob that slipped from her lips that gave it away. Tony sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. He nestled his mouth next to her ear and whispered "It's ok" over and over again. They sat together like that for a few minutes, until Ziva turned around to Tony and cuddled into him. He was getting cold from the rain, and he wanted to get Ziva out of the wet as soon as possible as he was sure she was going to be unwell.

"We need to go inside Ziva. Let's get you warm and cosy and then we can talk if you want to. I've been an idiot Ziva, all I can do is say I'm sorry"

Ziva said nothing, but gave Tony a small smile. Her lips were quivering with the cold and her whole body began to shake uncontrollably. Tony offered to carry her, but she refused silently. They walked the short way back to the house and Ziva immediately went to the bathroom for a shower. Tony got out of his wet clothes and immediately felt better for it. He made some more tea, as the first cup went to waste, and sat down on the couch waiting for Ziva. She was still trembling when she sat down next to him, but Tony was not sure whether it was from cold or fear.

"I'm so sorry Ziva. We've had so much to think about lately, that I did not even think about what date it was. I guess monday is going to be a really hard day huh? We should take the day off"

"Gibbs has already given it to us. He told me on friday" Ziva replied.

"So am I the only one that didn't recognise this?" Tony asked, not really wanting to know the answer. The downcast look on Ziva's face said it all. She looked up at him and her heart sank at the broken look on his face.

"Do not beat yourself up about this Tony. It is my issue and I have got to learn to deal with it. It was my choice not to talk to you, and given what effect this has had on me, it was not a wise move"

"Your issues are my issues Ziva. I will never forgive myself for letting you down Ziva"

"Tony, if it wasn't for you, I would be dead now. You saved me. I had given up hope that anyone would find me. I was ready to die - I told you that. What you did for me will never leave me. That is more important than forgetting a stupid date" Ziva kissed him.

"I was going to suggest we go out somewhere tomorrow, but I think we should stay in and snuggle instead. You must be tired, and I think you might have done some damage sitting out in that cold and rain today"

"I am having trouble getting warm" Ziva admitted. Tony got up from the couch and fetched a big blanket to wrap Ziva in. He put on a film and sat on the couch next to her, holding her in his arms. It wasn't long before soft snores began to come from Ziva, and Tony was relieved to see her relaxed in sleep. He didn't know how long it was going to last, but he was determined to get them through this next obstacle.

**I've decided to carry on with this for a while, but if it's going to keep taking me a ridiculous amount of time to update, I may have to abandon it. A few lovely reviews will help to motivate me though (hint hint!). Thanks for reading :)**


	19. The Idea of Hope

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Thanks for sticking by this :) Please leave a little message to make me a happy bunny x**

**Chapter Nineteen - The Idea of Hope**

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur. Ziva did indeed come down with a cold, and Tony wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Of course, he hated to see her ill and miserable, but at least if she felt that way, she couldn't run away from him when it all became too much. Sunday had been a hard day. Ziva had not left her bed, except to go to the bathroom. Tony knew that she was trying to avoid talking about anything, but it hurt him to see her so shut down again. He decided to give her space however, and apart from supplying drinks and films, he let her suffer in silence. Tony knew that Ziva would talk to him when she was ready. It made him dread monday even more though. He truly did not know what to do, or how to react. The past two years, Ziva had kept it very quiet and the date had passed without much thought. But after all she had been through in the last few months, Tony knew it was raw again.

Tony woke up on monday morning to an empty bed. He frowned as he worried that Ziva had left the house, and he knew that she was still not feeling well. She had been awake for the most part of the night, either coughing, sneezing or the dreaded nightmares. She had allowed Tony to comfort her though, which had made him feel better. Tony sighed as he dragged himself out of bed. He would be glad when this day was over. He was sure it was just a milestone that Ziva had to get through, and he was confident that she would be more like herself tomorrow. He wandered out to the living room, and saw Ziva huddled up on the couch. He sat next to her and stroked her hair.

"How long have you been out here?" Tony asked, taking in her pale face and puffy eyes.

"Since about 05:00. I could no longer lay in bed thinking and it was not fair to keep you awake" Ziva replied in a monotone voice.

"You know I don't mind Ziva. That's what I'm here for. Let me make us some tea. How are you feeling?"

"I will be glad when this day has ended. And I will also be pleased when I no longer have to blow my nose every three seconds"

"Well, I intend to look after you today. Anything you want, you get. Unless it means leaving you which is not an option"

"Thank-you Tony. I do not deserve you"

"And I don't deserve you. You need to drink more fluids, you still have a fever" Tony said as he walked into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

"I am sorry Tony"

"What on earth for?"

"I have treated you badly the last couple of days. I know that you have been desperate to help me, but I have always faced the anniversary on my own. This is the first time I have been with someone, and I am not used to anyone else caring"

"Ziva, we always cared. I feel bad that you have spent the last two years going through this alone. But you have me now, and you don't have to do it alone. These arms were made for holding you Ziva, and they are not letting you go"

Ziva walked into his embrace and allowed her guard to fall down. Suddenly the torrent of emotions started to flood and she began to sob. Tony lowered them down onto the couch and held Ziva in her arms as her body shook. There was silence for the following hour, apart from a few heaving sobs and a couple of sneezes. Eventually Ziva cried herself to sleep, and her body relaxed for the first time in days. Tony waited until he was sure that she was in a deep enough sleep, and then carried her through to the bedroom. He tucked her up in bed, and then cursed out loud when he realised she had fallen asleep without drinking anything. Her cheeks were still flushed with fever, and she looked exhausted even in her sleep.

Tony was pondering whether he shoudl wake Ziva or not to force some fluids into her when his phone began to ring. He stepped out of the bedroom and answered.

"Hey Boss"

"How is she DiNozzo?"

"To say the last two days have been rough would be an understatement. She's barely coping and to make things worse, she's sick"

"You need us to do anything? Abby's been chomping at the bit to visit, but I doubt that's the best idea?"

"Actually Boss, I think that dinner tonight with everyone would be the perfect thing to do. We have spent too long mourning this date, when it should be a celebration of Ziva's rescue. Tell everyone to meet here at seven. It would be handy for the duckman to check Ziva over too"

"Let me know if the situation changes"

"Sure thing Boss"

Tony hung up the phone and smiled to himself. He truly hoped that he had done the right thing and that Ziva would not be mad.

Two hours later, Tony was half watching a movie, and half dozing on the couch. He stirred when he heard movement in the bedroom. A few seconds later, Ziva shuffled into the room.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to sleep for so long" Ziva apologised as she sat next to Tony on the couch.

"Hey, no need for sorrys. How are you feeling? You look a bit more rested" Tony placed his hand on her forehead and frowned when the heat hit him.

"I think this cold is going to linger longer than I would like, but I do feel better for the sleep"

"I want you to take some medicine, drink some water and then think about an idea I had for tonight"

"What have you done Tony?"

"Boss phoned earlier to check on you, everyones worried about you. I decided to invite them for dinner tonight. Now before you shoot me down, I think it is about time that we started to celebrate having you in our lives, and not thinking about what might have been"

"Tony, those three months were the worst three months of my life. What happened there will never leave me, and I am entitled to have one day where I am allowed to grieve"

"No-one is saying that you can't grieve Ziva, but we as a team want this date to be a positive date. I went to Africa thinking you were dead Ziva. But I got you back, and I will be eternally grateful for that fact. I love you so much, I don't want to see you hurt anymore. I want to make everything better. And to do that, the team needs to be together"

"Very well. I may not feel up to much food, but by all means everyone can come. But please do not be angry if I cannot cope and I need to be by myself"

"We've got ourselves a deal" Tony agreed.

There was still plenty of time for things to go wrong, but for the first time that weekend, Tony began to feel positive again. He looked over at Ziva with pride, and could only hope that this would last.

**The next chapter will see the team family gathering and hopefully Ziva moving on...What do you think and what do you want to see?**


	20. Hope

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - Wow, it's been a long time since I updated. Life is very busy and it's very hard to be consistant. I hope that somebody will still read this!**

**Chapter Twenty - Hope**

Seven o'clock came around quickly, and Ziva was feeling increasingly nervous. Her fever had come down a little, and she had taken a long cool shower which had made her feel better physically, but mentally she was still struggling. She was swinging between emotions - grateful to have a team so much like a family who were caring enough to support her through everything. And grieving, because despite feeling incredibly loved, Ziva wanted to be alone. Somalia had left an imprint on her. It had made her who she was today. And it would never leave her. But perhaps Tony was right. Perhaps she should approach the day differently. After all, she was very much alive, and she knew how close she had been to a completely different outcome.

Tony was busy cooking in the kitchen. He had decided to make a simple soup for dinner. He knew Ziva would not fancy much to eat, and he didn't want to put any more pressure on her than was necessary. And, he figured, if the evening was too much for her, it wouldn't take long for the team to eat soup, and he would be able to make them leave earlier. Tony really hoped he was doing the right thing. He was worried about Ziva's mental state. This was nothing compared to what she had been through after Cobb, but he was worried that she could easily slip right back there. Only time would tell. Ziva was strong, and Tony would not be surprised if she managed to get through tonight with her gritty character. He finished up the soup, and wandered to the bedroom to see if Ziva was ready.

Tony found Ziva sitting on the bed, her towel had slipped down to the floor, and apart from her underwear, Ziva was naked. She was tracing a long, thin scar on her stomach with her fingers. She looked deep in thought, but to Tony, she looked beautiful. Her raw beauty was shining through, even though her face was still pale, her cheeks flushed bright red. Her eyes looked haunted, and they were surrrounded by deep, dark circles. But to Tony, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He sat on the bed next to her, and caught her hand in his. She stopped suddenly, and reacted as if she had had no idea that Tony was there. She looked up at him and smiled gently.

"Most of the time I do not like to see the scars. They bring back too many bad memories. But sometimes, they also bring survival. They remind me that I got out of there, and I am alive. I do not like them, but I do not know if I could function without them"

"I don't like the scars either Sweetcheeks. Not because I think they are ugly or that they make you any less gorgeous because they don't. I hate them because someone hurt you Ziva, and I wish I had the chance to hurt them twice as bad"

"He is dead. That is all that matters" Ziva replied. She could never bring herself to say 'Saleem' very often. The name sent shudders through her body.

"Hey, you're getting cold, put some clothes on. The others should be here soon"

"It will be nice to get together tonight. I am hopeful I will manage to see the evening through"

"No-one will think any less of you if you don't. Take it one step at a time. If it's too hard, we tell them to leave and we deal with it by ourselves"

"How many times do I have to thank you Tony?"

"You don't have to thank me at all. It is my duty to look after you" Tony kissed Ziva on the forehead, muttered something about more medicine, and then left Ziva to get dressed.

Gibbs arrived first, with Ducky, followed by McGee and Abby. Tony had asked Ducky to cast an eye on Ziva when he arrived, and he dutifully agreed. Tony made himself busy providing everyone with drinks, whilst Ducky made his way to the bedroom to check on Ziva. She was sitting on the bed, crying gently when Ducky approached.

"Oh Ziva dear, if this is too much for you, we can leave. Anthony just wanted me to check on you as you have not been feeling well"

"I am sorry Ducky. I do not wish anybody to leave, I just have not had much opportunity to cry today, and I was suddenly overwhelmed for a while. I am alright now" Ziva reassured Ducky, who was not completely convinced, but nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Now I have been told you have had a fever and a cough for a couple of days?"

"Yes, I had a difficult day in the rain, and am now buying for it yes?"

"I believe you mean paying for it. You look a little pale, and you still have a fever. I suggest lots of fluids and plenty of rest for the next couple of days and you will recover fully. Now, will you escort me to dinner?"

Ziva smiled at Ducky, and took his offered arm. They made their way to the dining room, where everybody was seated. Everyone greeted Ziva warmly, and as she sat down, she started to cry again. Tony made a move to her side, but she held her hand in the air.

"No, Tony. It is alright. I am sorry for crying, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I just want to thank you all for coming tonight. This weekend has been very difficult, not just for me, but for Tony, but it is made easier by the support that you all give us"

"You're welcome Ziver. A toast?" Gibbs replied. The team raised their glasses and cheered both Tony and Ziva.

The evening went well, and it provided Ziva with the distraction she needed. As Tony bid farewell to McGee and Abby, the last two to leave, Ziva got ready for bed. She felt exhausted, and was looking forward to a good nights sleep. She was hoping now the anniversary was over, she would be able to sleep better.

Tony entered the bedroom with a glass of water and tablets.

"Here, take these before you go to sleep. They'll help keep your fever down and might help you sleep. I'm so proud of you today Ziva. You have shown what a fighter you are"

"Thank-you. Tonight helped turn today into a positive. I never thought today would feel like this. Hopefully now we can move on with our lives"

"We have got a wedding to plan!" Tony said with a grin.

"It would be a change to focus on something nice for a while"

"Then it is agreed. From tomorrow, we will start planning the David-DiNozzo wedding. You are going to be a beautiful bride"

"And I cannot wait to see that hairy little butt in a smart suit. I love you so much Tony"

"Not as much as I love you Sweetcheeks"

Tony wrapped his arms around Ziva and held her tight as she slipped into sleep. He prayed that tonights dreams would be pleasant ones.

**So, a wedding will be on the cards soon. Will life allow it, or will anything get in the way? Please leave a little review :)**


	21. The End

**Alternative Pyramid**

**Disclaimer - I Own Nothing**

**A/N - WOW! I stumbled across this again the other day and realised that I never finished it. This was not my intention to leave it here, but it has been neglected for so long that I have written this final chapter and can put the story to rest. I cannot believe that this was started by the season 8 finale, and we are now working towards the season 10 finale! Crazy how quickly time goes. **

**Chapter 21 - The End**

Ziva did indeed wake up feeling a new person the next morning. She rolled over in the bed to face her husband to be, smiling at his haphazard hair, and the gentle puff of air that escaped his slightly parted lips on every exhale. She continued to watch him, until she made her prescence known, by running her fingers through his hair, giving the ends a little tug when he failed to wake up.

"Hey! I'm sleeping!" Tony groaned, his eyes still closed.

"Well, I am not, and I will be leaving this bed in the next minute unless you wake up and talk to me" Ziva demanded.

"Woah, somebody's feeling better this morning" Tony replied, this time opening his eyes and looking directly at Ziva.

"I do believe my fever has gone, and yes, I am indeed feeling better. Well enough to do this anyway" Ziva leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against Tonys'.

"Can we make a deal that you wake up like this every morning from now on?" Tony joked, returning the kiss and cuddling into Ziva. He had been surprised to go a whole night without any disturbances. He would have placed a bet the night before, that Ziva would have suffered at least one nightmare overnight. He put it down to her being exhausted, both physically and mentally, but it did seem that Ziva was more like her 'old self' this morning. He could only hope that it would stay that way.

"You look very deep in thought my love" Ziva broke through the silence that had descended on the room.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about last night, and what a lovely sleep we both had" Tony raised one eyebrow at Ziva as if to say _'Please tell me I didn't miss anything'._

"It was indeed. I too, did not expect that, but I guess you were right. Talking to everyone last night obviously did me the world of great"

"World of good Sweetcheeks. I'm glad. Promise one thing though?"

"What?" Ziva asked, concerned.

"Promise me that you will always come to me, as soon as you start feeling bad. Don't let it build up and up until you don't know how to deal with it. You are never alone Ziva, please don't forget it"

"Tony, I cannot promise to always deal with my problems the way you want me to, but I can promise that I will try. Will that do?"

"I love you" Tony answered, and flashed his trademark grin.

"You having a shower first, or am I?" Ziva asked, after placing another kiss on Tony's lips.

"How about we both have a shower, and then we grab some breakfast?"

"Perfect plan, my little hairy butt"

**Eight Weeks Later.**

Ziva was feeling incredibly nervous. She was pacing up and down the room, smoothing the skirt of her dress down as she walked. How could he do this to her? He knew how important this day was to her, and he was late! She continued to pace, getting more and more frantic as the time passed. Just as she was about to start screaming choice words in hebrew, the door burst open and Abby flew in.

"He's here Ziva! He's here. But don't be mad at him, I mean, I know you are mad, but it's too important a day to be mad! And don't cry, because then you'll make me cry, and that's not a good combination with this make-up! Oh Ziva, you look so beautiful!"

"Well, if he is here, is he actually going to show his face?" Ziva replied, an angry tone in her voice.

"I'm sorry Ziver" A gruff voice came from the doorframe. Ziva turned around to face Gibbs, her anger melting as soon as she saw him dressed in his suit.

"Where have you been Gibbs? I have been going out of my head with worry!"

"I lost something important to me. And in order to give it to you, I had to find it" Gibbs walked up to Ziva and opened her hand. He placed something on her palm and then closed her hand into a fist again.

Ziva opened her hand and gasped. Inside was a delicate silver necklace, with a blue sapphire stone hanging from it.

"Gibbs! It is beautiful. I cannot take this!"

"It was my mothers. One day, I promised to give it to Kelly on her wedding day, but I never got the chance. I wanted my daughter to have it" Gibbs replied.

And with that, both Abby and Ziva began to cry. Gibbs pulled them into a hug and kissed them both.

"We better get going. I bet DiNozzo isn't coping well with the delay" Gibbs stated, which turned the tears into laughter.

Tony, was indeed doing some pacing of his own. The past few weeks had flown past. They had originally planned to get married in a year, but once they had started planning, they had gotten so excited that time was of the essence. Tony had been a little concerned. After all they had been through, he didn't want Ziva to feel pushed into the wedding, and he didn't want her to change her mind at the last minute. But she had surprised him. It was as if she had a new found confidence. She booked the whole thing, and remained as excited the whole way along. Another thirty minutes passed, and Tony had been warned once by the vicar that if the bride did not arrive soon, the ceremony would not be taking place. Just as he was about to panic, he heard the first chords of the keyboard begin, and the crowd behind him stood up. Tony took a deep breath and looked up the aisle just as the doors were opening.

Ziva took his breath away. She was wearing an ivory dress, strapless, with flowers all over the top part, and smooth silk at the bottom, with netting underneath that puffed the skirt out. Her hair was loose and curly, just the way he liked it, and was finished off with a silver tiara. He had to admit that Gibbs looked pretty dapper too. Tony couldn't take his eyes off Ziva, as she walked towards him. He was desperate to get hold of her, he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go.

Ziva had felt nervous before walking in the church. They had debated a very long time before deciding on where to get married. Tony had been happy to accommodate Ziva's jewish heritage, but she had decided in the end to say goodbye to those roots. She took a deep breath and gripped Gibbs' arm a little tighter as they began the walk down the aisle. And then she met Tony's eyes. And she broke out into a big smile. It felt right, it felt perfect. At the end of the aisle, Gibbs turned to her and whispered in her ear, that she was one of the most important people in his life, and that he was so very proud of her and Tony, A lone tear escaped down her cheek, which he had wiped away with one of his calloused fingers. She then joined Tony at the front of the church, and their bond for life began.

The ceremony was short and sweet. And traditional. Neither Tony or Ziva had felt the desire to have their own vows. They were essentially, a private couple,  
>and their deepest feelings belonged to each other and no-one else. They exchanged rings, and all too soon it was time for Tony to kiss his bride. He turned to Ziva, and clasped her delicate face within his two hands. He leaned forward, and mouthed 'I love you' before kissing her tenderly. They made their way back up the aisle, passing all their dear guests, and began on the next journey of their lives.<p>

And in their rings were the words 'Together as one'. For they really were.

**So I know, that was probably pretty bad, but at least I can say I finished it. Now I have two dreams - 1) A few reviews, and 2) Confirmation that Cote will be returning for season 11. Please make at least one of them come true! Thanks for reading :)**


End file.
